Our Journey
by heytheregisela
Summary: High school has ended and Kevin isn't ready for college just yet. Since he had been saving money on the side, he finds that he has enough money to fulfill his good friend's, and secret crush, dream of traveling, and through begging and persuading, he manages to convince Edd to set college aside. Kevin intends to make this trip one they'll both never forget. (Kevedd) Art by Tazilp:)
1. The Proposal

A/N: The idea for this came from an episode of EEnE where Edd says he wants to travel or something around those lines. I honestly remember him saying something like that, but I cannot recall what episode it was. I really hate my memory sometimes, it's such poop. Another reason for writing this is because I watch The Vampire Diaries and if you watch it too, then you know how Klaus is always wanting to take Caroline to see all these places (ex: Rome, Paris, Tokyo) but this will have nothing to do with that show. I just really adore that pairing and since Kevedd is my otp, I got to thinking "Aww, what if Kevin and Edd traveled together, seeing all these beautiful sights and asdfghjkl!".

So I'm writing it.

Let me know what you think, sweeties.

PS. Don't get any cute ideas because of the name of the chapter. No one's getting engaged, sorry. Lol. It's the other meaning for proposal.

* * *

Here it was; the day he had been waiting for practically his whole life. It seemed so out of reach, a million years away, but then time started to almost speed up, and before he knew it, he found himself in his last year of high school. And now he was sitting in his seat, along with the rest of the graduates. The realization of this was not dawning on him. He could still, so clearly, recall many memories from his childhood. Oh, but it _was_ happening. He was through with high school. Now there was just college. Hmm, college. He hadn't even applied to any colleges. And for that, his parents were disappointed that their only child was refusing to start on his future, but it wasn't even like that. He was planning on going to college, just not that same year. He wanted a break from school. Only one year, and then he would turn his focus on school again. College could wait.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly and looked up at the bleachers where all the relatives of students sat. Every row was filled up and it reminded him of the football games. High school football. He would no longer play for Peach Creek High. The thought made him look down. Sports was one of the things he loved about high school.

"Excuse me, pardon me," he heard a familiar from behind say.

The redhead turned his head to see his good friend, Eddward, making his way to his seat. A smile formed on his face when he noticed the small teen wasn't wearing his usual black beanie. In its place was the green graduation cap, holding down his messy black hair. He took his seat and sighed in relief.

"Kevin!"

The redhead turned back around to see his best friend, Nazz, walking up to him. He jumped up from his seat and greeted her with a tight hug.

"Can you believe we're graduating?" She asked once they pulled away.

"Nah, I can't," Kevin answered with a shake of his head. "We're getting old, Nazz."

The blonde giggled and shook her head. "Shut up. We're not." She walked over to the seat next to Kevin's and they both sat down. "I'll always remember us as the kids from the cul-de-sac." Her smiled faded and she faced the redhead. "I'm going to miss you. I can't believe you aren't going to college with me."

Kevin rolled his eyes playfully and smirked at her. "Once you get there, you're not even going to remember me."

"Are you kidding me? Dude, how can I forget you?"

He opened his mouth to answer her when the a loud noise from the microphone startled him. Everyone turned their attention to the front and went completely silent.

"Good evening everyone," the principal spoke. "I'm glad you could all make it here on this very special day where Peach Creek High bids farewells to our graduates." The audience clapped gently. "Now lets hear from our valedictorian, Jeffrey Campbell." A small group in the stands rose as they cheered for the student walking up to the podium.

Kevin groaned silently. He couldn't believe the honor of being valedictorian didn't go to Edd, but apparently there was someone smarter and Kevin didn't know that was even possible. He glanced at Edd over his shoulder and by the expression on the teen's face, Kevin knew Edd was thinking the same thing. Jeffrey's speech was typical. He spoke about how the high school experience had its ups and downs that helped everyone grow up and learn from their mistakes. He then said that the future for the class of 2012 seemed bright because of the achievements they have made.

_What achievements did I even make? _Kevin wondered to himself, _none. _He crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. Jeffrey's speech, overall, wasn't as long as Kevin thought it would be. The principal returned to the podium and began naming off the graduates. Kevin's eyes widened when he heard his name and he smiled wide when Nazz's name was called out right after. He shook hands with his now former principal and took his diploma. He waited a bit for Nazz to do the same and they walked back to their seats together. He cheered every time one of his other friends' names were called. And after half of the graduates received their diplomas, Eddward was next. Kevin felt his heart jump. He looked over at the lanky teen making his way up to the stage, a proud smile on his face. For a moment, Kevin hesitated clapping and cheering for the blue eyed ravenette, but when Eddward started to make his way back to his seat, Kevin jumped up and clapped loudly.

"Yeah, you go Double D!" He cheered.

Edd froze in his tracks, a red color forming on his cheeks. _Oh my... _his hands felt a little shaky. He smiled shyly at the redhead before continuing his way to his seat.

"What was that all about?" His best friend, Eddy, asked.

"He's my friend, Eddy," Double D answered. "He was being nice." A smile lingered on his lips as he thought back to the scene. Kevin just seemed so excited for him, but of course, half of that excitement had to be for himself. Yet it almost felt as if Kevin was more happy seeing Edd receive that piece of paper than receiving it himself.

Once the rest of the students got their diplomas, the principal spoke into the microphone, "Congratulations class of 2012. You did it!"

The graduates jumped up and threw their caps into the air, embracing their friends as caps fell back around them. Ed ran over to Eddy and Double D and scooped them both up, spinning them around.

"Goodness, Ed!" Edd squeaked.

"Hey, lumpy. Put us down!" Eddy groaned.

"I'm just so happy, Eddy!" Ed smiled big and put his best friends down. He jumped up and down, squealing excitedly as he did so. "We finished school forever!"

"Not exactly, Ed," Double D said, causing his tall friend to stop celebrating. "Don't forget about college." He smiled nervously.

"College?!" Ed gasped. "No one told me about that!"

"What are you talking about?" Eddy asked. "It's all Sockhead's been talking to us about!"

"Double D, say it isn't so!"

"It is so," Double D said.

Ed got down on his knees and began whining about having to deal with school again, saying how it was too hard and boring for him. Eddy rolled his eyes and tried getting him back on his feet. Double D sighed and looked over at Kevin. Kevin was getting hug after hug. He gave everyone a quick side hug, except for Nazz. She was squeezed tightly by the redhead.

"I love you, Nazz," he whispered in her ear. "Tomorrow before you leave, you better wake me up. I don't care how early it is."

Nazz giggled and nodded. "I will."

Kevin let go of her and smiled. "I don't know what I'll do without you."

The blonde leaned in and whispered, "You'll still have Edd." She winked.

Kevin chuckled, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Sort of," he mumbled. But Edd didn't even know about Kevin's feelings for him and because of that, Kevin was forced stay friendly with him, which became harder for him each day. He was crushing badly on one of the dorks he used to pick on in middle school, but he couldn't help it. Edd was different. It wasn't just that he was one of the smartest people he knew. There was more to it, and Kevin had discovered it through high school. Freshmen year, he remembered it so well. It was the first day of school and he was lost, trying to find his first class. He had walked to the main office for directions and found Edd there for the same reason. They had laughed about it and since their classes were next to each other, they walked together. Edd had talked on and on about what seemed like gibberish to the redhead, but Kevin smiled and nodded at the end of every sentence.

Even though they hardly had anything in common, Kevin realized that day that Edd was the breath of fresh air he had hoped to find in high school, and it was quite silly that he barely realized it that moment after having known the dork since they were kids. Better late than never, he had told himself. And at first, he was only fond of Edd as a friend, but that changed over course of more conversations. Kevin began finding himself feeling... _nervous_ when he was with Edd. He had butterflies and was excited every morning because it was another day he could see him. He started asking Edd to hang out and most of the time, he was turned down, because Edd was already occupied with something that had to do with school or his friends. Kevin had tried not to mind, but how was he supposed to impress his crush if he couldn't even get more than two minutes alone with him?

The problem had bothered him throughout freshman year and he would talk about it with Nazz. She always had the best advice, in which he never took from being too nervous, but he did listen to one of her advices: _at least become good friends with him. _Therefore, towards the end of their sophomore year, Kevin stopped trying to impress Edd and became strictly just friendly with him, and even then, it was still hard to get the guy alone. But being friends with Edd gave Kevin an excuse to get to know more about him. Edd trusted Kevin enough to reveal to him some of his secrets, future plans, and hopes. During one of their hangouts, Edd had talked to Kevin about wanting to travel, to see what laid beyond Peach Creek and out of the United States. He wanted to see different cultures. There was something about the way Edd talked about it that stayed with Kevin. Edd had sounded so passionate about it. It was a dream he truly wanted to be true. And because of that, Kevin had been saving money on the side ever since in hopes that one day he could fulfill Edd's wish.

The redhead had spent his time counting his money as he waited for it to be time for him to leave for the graduation ceremony. He had enough. Now all he needed to do was convince Edd to go.

"Earth to Kevin!" Nazz snapped her fingers in front of Kevin's face. "Hello?!"

Kevin blinked, bringing himself back to the present. He smiled at his best friend. "Sorry."

"Jeez, I mention Edd once and I lose you," she teased. "I guess that means he's more important to you than celebrating graduation."

"Hmm, something like that."

"When are you going to ask him?" Of course he had told Nazz about his plan. Why wouldn't he?

Kevin bit down gently on his lower lip and shrugged.

"Kevin," Nazz said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't chicken out."

"I won't."

"Then you know what?" Nazz stepped closer. "Go tell him now. It can be like his graduation present from you." She grinned.

"Nah, I'll wait for another day-"

"No! Now!" Nazz pushed Kevin. "Go now or I'll drag you to him." She shoved him again and giggled. "Come on, Kev!"

"Alright, alright!" The redhead rolled his eyes and shook his head. He looked over at Edd. Double D was surrounded by a group of people, but he seemed very uncomfortable with them. Kevin swallowed the lump in his throat and began walking.

"Casanova Kevin-boy!" Kevin's blue-haired friend and neighbor, Rolf stepped in front of him and smiled big.

Kevin didn't wait for him to say anymore. He awkwardly and quickly hugged the son of a shepherd. "We're done with high school. Yeah! Isn't that awesome? Okay, well I'll see you around, man." He patted Rolf's shoulder before walking off, leaving Rolf dumbfounded. Kevin had one mission and he was determined to get through it. Taking a deep breath, he smiled as he reached Edd.

"Oh! Hello Kevin!" Edd greeted.

"I... uh... haven't gotten my hug from you yet," Kevin said, laughing a little nervously.

Double D stood there, staring at the redhead with wide eyes and Kevin wondered if he had said something wrong.

"Or no hug is cool too," he said.

Edd blinked twice and smiled finally. "No, a hug is fine." He stepped closer to Kevin and wrapped his arms around him. The redhead smirked and did the same, but frowned when Edd let go too quickly.

"I have something to tell you," he blurted out, catching Edd off guard.

Double D waited for the redhead to go on and he did, "Um, well... I know how much you've been wanting to-"

"Kevin!" _Great._ Kevin turned around to see his parents walking towards him.

He looked back at Edd and said, "Gotta get congratulated by the parents. I'll be right back." He met his parents halfway and embraced them.

Edd sighed sadly. He looked around to see others with their parents, including Eddy and Ed. Everyone had family members there for them. Except for him. His parents were too busy at the hospital to make it to their only son's graduation. He knew not let it get to him. His parents were hardly ever there and he wanted to believe he was used to it, but it still hurt. So he stood there, fiddling with his fingers until Kevin returned.

"Man, Rolf's nana is so weird," the redhead said. "I guess I know where Rolf gets it from." He chuckled.

Edd forced a smile and nodded. "Now, what was it that you needed to tell me?"

Kevin's laughter stopped immediately and his expression turned blank. _Shit, yeah I almost forgot. Well, it's now or never. _

"Yeah, so you know how you told me once that you wanted to see more of the world?" He asked Edd.

Double D thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Well," Kevin continued, "What would you say if I asked you to come with me... anywhere you'd like. You get to pick."

"W-what?" Edd covered his mouth with his hands and shook his head.

Kevin felt his heart ache. Another rejection to his request of hanging out. Well, surely this wasn't just an ordinary hangout. Kevin was asking the guy to go to another country with him.

"Yeah, man," he said, "I mean, uh-"

"When? How? Just the two of us?" Edd stammered out.

"Just the two of us. And well, I was kind of hoping towards the end of the summer... and maybe the rest of the year..." Kevin's words grew quieter the more he spoke, but Edd had heard him.

"How?!" The dork frantically asked.

"Money's not an issue, if that's what you mean by how. I have the money. Probably more than enough because I've been saving my money from babysitting, mowing lawns, chores, working with my dad at the jawbreaker factory during the summers since sophomore year and when my grandma passed, she gave me all her money in her will, so I have money-"

"Have you completely lost it, Kevin?"

Kevin squinted his eyes and shook his head. "What? No."

"You expect me to go off in some sort of adventure with you for the rest of the year?"

"Well, I mean, we probably won't need that much time but-"

"I have college in the fall," Edd stopped him. "I appreciate your offer, but I can't accept."

Kevin sighed in defeat and looked down at his feet. "Come on, Edd. College will be here next year."

"You want me to put my future on hold?!" Double D gasped and shook his head. "I can't possibly do that. I have everything planned out-"

"Well that's exactly why you should go with me. You always have everything mapped out. Why don't you try something different for once?"

Edd couldn't believe himself, but he was actually thinking about it. But put off college for a year? Impossible. He crossed his arms and looked in the other direction. His expression softened, though. He really did want to get out and explore new places.

"Where would we go?" He asked softly.

"Your choice," Kevin answered, his heart speeding up with hope pulsing through him.

Edd raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Anywhere, then? As in, out of the country as well?"

Kevin nodded.

"And you have all the money to be able to travel a long time? I find that to be ridiculous."

"I have enough."

"How much?"

"Ten thousand."

Edd's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Good Lord, Kevin!"

Kevin grinned lopsidedly. "Like I said, my grandma gave me her money. She did hope I'd use it for college and my future, but I don't think she'd mind."

"I mind," Edd said, pointing a finger to himself. "That's _your_ money for _your_ future."

"Whatever we don't use, I'll save."

"You really don't have this all planned out. Do you even understand-"

"Don't insult me, dork," Kevin sternly said. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm just trying to do something nice for you, get you out of your comfort zone. Why are you so afraid? We're both eighteen and mature enough to take care of ourselves."

"Yes, but at eighteen, teenagers typically just move out of their house and into their own, not travel with a friend for six months!" Edd waved his hands in the air.

Kevin furrowed his eyebrows. "Come on, Edd! Are you telling me I got excited about this for nothing?" He pouted.

"You were excited?"

"Yes!"

"My apologies." Double D slowly looked away, feeling guilty for saying no, but what Kevin was asking of him was completely absurd.

"Hey, how about this..." Kevin started, "How about we leave after fourth of July, we give it try for a month, and if you don't like it, we can come back?"

Edd looked up at him, seeing emerald green eyes begging him to give in.

"We can come back?" He asked and Kevin nodded.

"Just give it a try," the redhead said.

Double D sighed. "Well, perhaps I can accept then."

"Really?!" Kevin smiled wide. "Yes!" He threw his fist in the air in celebration. "I promise you we'll have fun, especially because we'll go somewhere _you_ want."

"But on one condition!"

Kevin groaned. "What?"

"I pay half the money."

* * *

Kevin didn't want Edd to pay anything, but it was the only way Edd would completely agree, so the redhead had to bite his tongue. They parted their ways after graduation. Edd went on home while Kevin left with his parents to eat out somewhere. It was at the restaurant that Kevin told them his plans. They weren't happy. Oh no, not at all. First they had to deal with the fact that their son didn't want to go to college and now they had to learn that he wanted to leave for six months out of the country with someone. They spoke with raised voices, telling him what a fool he was being and how preposterous the idea was. He sat there, silent as he listened to every harsh word they spoke. They had the attention of everyone in the building and Kevin wished he could just slump into his seat and disappear. He expected their reaction to be like this; angry and disappointed. Of course. He couldn't think they would be proud of his decision. Part of him wondered why not. This was a great opportunity to learn more, but they saw it as being lazy.

His parents continued lecturing, but his mind was already elsewhere. If his parents were reacting this way, how would Edd's react considering they made sure they raised Edd to be successful in his future? Kevin gasped quietly and his mother stopped talking.

"What?" She asked, her tone still angry.

He shook his head and shrugged. "Go ahead, you two, be disappointed in me. I'm still going to do this. It's not as bad as you guys are making it."

"But just _why_, Kevin?" His father asked.

Kevin thought about the question. He sighed and said, "I'll let you know later."

That finally silenced them. They nodded and finished off their dinner. The three of them didn't speak to each other on the ride home, but Kevin figured it was better than listening to their angry voices.

Edd arrived to an empty home. He sat alone in his room, thinking about how he would tell his parents. He dreaded it, but he had already agreed on giving the trip a try, and it was _Kevin_. He couldn't let Kevin down. He just couldn't. The redhead meant something to him and it wasn't the same something his other friends meant to him. It was different, but he really didn't know what it was.

The moment the front door opened, his heart felt as if it had stopped. He gasped for air and swallowed hard. _I should tell them in the morning. They're tired. _But that would be useless. They would be gone before he woke. He crept out of his room and made his way down the stairs. His father was looking for something in the refrigerator while his mother made herself comfortable on the couch. She looked up at the sound of Edd's footsteps.

"Oh, Edd." She jumped back up onto her feet and ran over to him. "I'm so sorry." Her arms tightly wrapped around her son. "But congratulations, sweetheart. Father and I are so proud of you." Edd smiled and squeezed her back.

It wasn't always that he got affection from his parents, so he cherished any time he did. His father grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and turned around.

"Eddward!" He put the water bottles down on the table before making his way over. His mother stepped away, allowing his father to take his turn in hugging him. "We hope you forgive us, son."

Edd nodded and pulled out of the hug. "It's fine, Mother, Father, but I do have something I want to discuss with the both of you." He walked to the couch and sat down. His mother joined him.

"What is it?" She asked.

Eddward fiddled with his fingers a bit, working up the courage. He looked up at his father standing near the staircase.

"Well," he began, putting his head down. "I have this friend who has asked me to... to... travel with him." No response and he didn't dare look up. "F-for six months. Although, I refused since I have college to attend to this fall, b-but he asked me to go with him for a month in July and see how I feel about it, and if I'm not happy, we can return." Edd forced his head back up. He turned to look his mother in the eye first. She was smiling.

"Travel to where?" She asked.

"My choice," he answered.

"Well," his father spoke. "I think it's a fine idea if it benefits you."

"W-what about school?" Edd asked.

"You have worked very hard your whole life, Eddward," his mother said. "Perhaps it's time you take a break?"

The blue-eyed teen gaped. This couldn't be true. He was dreaming, surely he was. Or was he in some sort of alternate universe?

"I agree with your mother," his father said. "You can learn a lot from traveling, too."

"Therefore, if I enjoy myself, I can stay?" Edd bit down on his lower lip.

His mother caressed his cheek and smiled some more. "As long as you promise to work hard next year at college."

"T-thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father." It went well. A little well, but Edd wasn't going to over think it. His parents were allowing him to take a risk. Scenarios of him and Kevin walking the streets of Barcelona, or London, or maybe even Florence. Yes, Florence. His lips curved up as he walked back up to his room. He had always wanted to go to Florence; to visit the Palazzo Vecchio and finally see the Sala delle Carte.

"I must tell Kevin!" The ravenette ran over to his bedside table and grabbed his cell phone. He texted the redhead, telling him how well it went with his parents and he was definitely looking forward to the trip.

Kevin was lying on his bed when his phone buzzed next to him. He groaned and picked it up, expecting the text to be from one of his obnoxious friends that got drunk and needed a ride home, but it was from... Edd! He sat up immediately and opened up the text. Grinning, he replied: Awesome. So, where are we going?

Edd smiled a wide, gap-tooted revealing smile and texted back: If you insist on my choosing, I choose Florence, Italy.

His heart raced excitedly in his chest as he pressed 'send' and he knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep that night.

* * *

Another thing, I was going to put class of 2013, but I honestly do not like writing in future time periods. I guess that's how I'll explain it to be...

This story will take place through summer, fall and winter and since we're barely going into summer, I feel weird writing about fall and winter of 2013. I've always been like this with my writing. I just can't. I don't know why either. I've tried, but I just don't feel comfortable. Therefore, it's 2012 in this fic, tee hee.

Does this dilemma make any sense? I feel like it doesn't, but I hope you know what I kind of mean...

I chose their first place to travel to be Florence, Italy, because it's my dream to visit there and this fic gives me a chance to write about it. Italy is just so beautiful to me. Sigh. One day... one day.


	2. The Great Escape

A/N: Just like Three's A Crowd, I'm very excited about writing this story. I have so many ideas flowing through my head, so I hope you all stick around to the end. Also, since we don't know Kevin or Edd's last names, I used the last names of their voice actors, which are the names this fandom usually uses.

The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls. Check it out. :D

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Answers to reviews:

"Susan - This was so cute! I liked it so far, can't wait to read more! :) I've been to Florence before when I lived in Italy for about 9 months and it's really nice! (The first time that is.. After going there three different times doing the same thing each time it gets boring..xD) I can totally picture Kevin and Edd there! :D"

- Well, perhaps you could help me with details on Florence? Because I'm just going off internet sources as best as I can. lol

"Guest - This made my heart pound because I'm about to graduate in less then 3 weeks and when it said 2012 I pretended it said 2013 and I got scared haha. I really loved this so far :) more!"

- Yay ^_^ I envy you, though. I still have one more year of high school to go. Oh, and here is more :D

* * *

The picnic table was set up with potato salad, macaroni and cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, avocado dip, and varies liter bottles of soda. Sarah placed paper plates, utensils, cups, and napkins on the table and smiled. She looked over at Kevin who was grilling the meat.

"So Nazz really couldn't come?" The fifteen year old girl asked him.

Kevin shook his head. "Nah. She already made friends in her new town and they invited her to their barbeque before we did."

"Oh. Well, we can still have fun!"

The redhead smiled at her and nodded. She skipped off to go find Jimmy. Kevin looked back at the grill and sighed. It had been a month since he had seen his best friend. He missed her. Text messages and Skype calls weren't enough. He was so used to seeing her everyday that not seeing her at all felt off.

"Pay attention, shovel chin!" Eddy cupped his mouth as he yelled out, walking up to Kevin.

Kevin groaned and rolled his eyes. "I am paying attention."

"Then why do I smell burnt chicken?"

The redhead looked down at the grill. "Oh, shit!" He scooped up the pieces of chicken with the spatula and shot Eddy a glare. "Don't just stand there. Make yourself useful and me that plate over there!" Kevin pointed his finger at the table.

Eddy squinted his eyes before retrieving the blue plate. He held out to Kevin and the redhead placed the chicken on it.

"I'm not useless," the short Ed mumbled.

Kevin waited a few more minutes before taking out the hamburger meat and hotdogs. He set the plate filled with food on the table and sat down, sighing in relief. He took off his hat and scratched his head. It was almost seven PM on fourth of July and the summer sun was almost unbearable.

"Tell the others the food is ready," he told Eddy.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Just do it!"

Eddy rolled his eyes and went off to find his friends. Sarah and Jimmy returned and took their seats at the table. Kevin didn't serve himself until everyone else was seated and eating. Edd was sitting in between his best friends, gently cutting a piece of his chicken with a plastic knife and fork. He was saying something to Eddy, but Kevin couldn't hear him over the loud noise of everyone else speaking. The redhead looked down at his hamburger and took a large bite out of it.

"Don't forget to chew!" Jonny teased him.

Kevin smirked and chewed slower. The feel of someone watching him caught his attention and he glanced up to find Double D staring at him. Eddward turned away as fast as he could and shielded his smile with his hand, but Kevin caught a hint of it and chuckled slightly before taking another bite of his food.

"So when are you and orange hair over there leaving?" Eddy asked the sockhead. Edd cringed at the sight of his friend's full mouth.

"You really should swallow before you speak, Eddy," he scolded, but then sighed. "Kevin and I are leaving in two days."

"I only have two more days left with you?" Ed pouted.

"Don't be sad, Ed," Double D told him. "I may return."

Eddy scoffed. "You're not coming back, Sockhead. You're going to end up loving it and come back next year."

"Next year?!" Ed's eyes widened with horror. "You wouldn't leave me for that long, would you, Double D?" His lips quivered.

Eddward hesitated. Eddy could be right. He may just end up liking the trip and want to stay for as long as Kevin had originally planned. But looking at his friend's expression, he couldn't admit that. "I'll always come back, Ed." That seemed like a good enough answer. It wasn't exactly a 'yes' or a 'no'.

"Still can't believe lumpy and me are just staying here in boring ass Peach Creek where nothing exciting is going to happen because Nazz is gone, Rolf is going back to wherever the hell his homeland is to visit his relatives, and you and Kevin are going to Italy!" Eddy furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

"Sarah, Jimmy, and Jonny will still be here, Eddy!" Ed reminded him.

"Yes, and the Kankers," Double D added, nodding his head.

"Yeah, like that makes it any better," Eddy mumbled.

The gang spent another half hour finishing off their food. Afterwards, they started heading off into town for the firework show. The sky was still too bright, but it was better to get there early to snatch a good seat. For it being just around eight thirty, there was already a huge crowd of people awaiting the show. Sarah, Jimmy, and Jonny squeezed in the front while the others found seats in the middle. Double D was tied to the hips of the other Eds as usual and Kevin felt a ping of annoyance run through him. They were always, _always_ hogging Edd.

_Whatever, I'll have him all to myself in two days, _the redhead grinned at the thought. He was excited but also a bit nervous. This was the first he was going to go somewhere far, very far, from his home and to make it even more ridiculous, his first time leaving was with his crush. They were going to be together - _alone_. Kevin gulped and shook his head as if to shake the nerves away, but it didn't do the trick. They kept each other occupied with conversations for another hour until the show finally began. Couples snuggled in closer. Kids crawled into their parents' laps and stared up at the sky in pure amazement as gold and silver sparked and sparkled, then blue, red, green, and purple.

"Look!" Sarah pointed at one of the fireworks. "It's the flag."

The others looked and in unison, said, "That's so cool." For being between the ages of 15 through 18, they found nothing wrong in being overly excited and astonished by fireworks. They shot up into the air and exploded into colors and the friends just found that to be incredible.

"Look at all the pretty colors, guys!" Ed bit down on his lower lip as he smiled wide.

"Did you know that fireworks are made from combustible chemicals and-"

Eddy stopped Double D from speaking any further by placing his hand on the sockhead's mouth. "Shh. Don't ruin it for us."

Edd squinted his eyes and grabbed Eddy's wrist, pulling his hand away. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes, it was!"

Double D shook his head. Kevin smirked at him. He glanced up to see more than one firework were being blasted at a time and he made his way over to Edd's side. Double D smiled at the redhead.

"Having fun?" Kevin asked.

"Yes. These are quite beautiful." The ravenette smiled lopsidedly, his eyes never leaving the sky.

The redhead grinned as he watched his friend instead of the fireworks. Double D looked as content and pleased as he did after completing an invention he almost gave up on, and it was so adorable, Kevin couldn't look away. He gently brushed his hand against Edd's. Eddward gasped softly and looked down to see how close they were standing next to each other. He held his breath as he lifted up his head to meet Kevin's gaze. The emerald-eyed teen smiled softly at Double D. Edd swallowed hard and nervously returned the smile. The fireworks blasting in front of them were now long forgotten.

* * *

"Need any help?" Kevin's mother asked as she walked into the redhead's room. Kevin was finishing off his packing for the trip.

He looked over at his mother. "That'd be cool."

Mrs. Barr smiled and picked up a few of the clothes laid out on Kevin's bed and folded them neatly. "I know your father and I haven't been supportive in your decisions and for that, we apologize." She stopped momentarily and sighed. "We love you, Kevin, and we'll be here for you no matter what."

The redhead faced her and smiled. "Thanks Mom. That means a lot."

Mrs. Barr nodded and went back to folding. She handed over the folded shirts to Kevin and he packed them. "So why Edd?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have many friends. I know you and him are good friends, but why go with him and just him only? I'd think you'd want to go with more than just one friend. The more the merrier, right?"

Kevin thought about his answer. "Because it's Edd's dream to travel and mostly everyone else had plans this summer already." He shrugged. What he wanted to say, _'Because I like him, Mom.' _But he wasn't ready to come out to his parents about having a crush on someone of the same sex. The time would come eventually.

His mother smiled. "That's nice, then. I hope you two don't get into any trouble. Remember to call us every other night."

_Every other night,_ Kevin chuckled. "We won't and I will call. Don't worry."

"I do worry, Kevin," Mrs. Barr said. She sighed. "This is bigger than you think. You've never been out of the country before."

_Yeah, I know... _"I... We'll be fine, Mom."

Eddward was busy at home finishing his chores. His packing had been all done five days earlier. It had given him a hard time since he wasn't sure just exactly how much to pack. What if they did only stay a month... but what if they didn't? Double D had went back and forth, adding in and pulling out clothes from his suitcases. In the end, he decided it was safer to pack more than to be sorry later.

As he scrubbed the sink, his eyes kept darting over to stare at the clock on the wall. His heart would almost skip a beat every time he saw the time pass more and more, closer to leaving with Kevin. He tried not to think about it too much, but if the redhead knew just how much this really meant to Edd. Not only did he get to live out his little dream, but he also was able to share it with Kevin. _Hmm, Kevin. _Double D smiled to himself and sighed lovingly as he leaned over the sink and rested his chin on his palm. After a few seconds, he stepped back and rolled his eyes.

"I'm merely an excuse for Kevin," he said. "I will not be surprise if I end up alone in a hotel room while he runs out and fools around with a bunch of foreign girls." He sneered at the thought. No way would he let that happen. Kevin could have his fun, but he would make sure he would get his own fun as well. Double D leaned against the counter and covered his face with his hands. "Oh why do I have to have such ludicrous feelings for him?"

Kevin was asking himself the same thing as he finished off his packing. He zipped up his last bag and tossed it into the pile with the other two. "I'm finally done." The redhead sat down on his bed and allowed himself to fall back. Staring at his ceiling, he smiled, his thoughts roaming back to the night before. The firework show. The Edd. The ocean blue eyes that always made him feel weak at the knees. Kevin's smile faded and he groaned.

"Look at how pathetic you're making me, dweeb," he mumbled, but he had to admit, Double D was worth it.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Barr drove Kevin and Edd to the airport early the next evening, but Double D had to wake early in order to say his goodbyes to his parents. His mother held him tightly in her arms, whispering into his ear about remembering to be safe and never leave Kevin's side. She told him they needed to stay together at all times. Eddward's cheeks had turned a bright red and his mother kissed each one before heading out to her car. His father hugged him quick and told him he would miss him. Edd told him to have a nice day at work and that he would miss him too. They both waved goodbye as they drove off. It was bittersweet and Edd almost wished he could stay. _Almost_.

They arrived at the airport just in time for their plane and that's when it was Kevin's turn to give his parents his heart filled goodbyes.

"I'll miss you guys," he said to them.

"We'll miss you, too, baby," Mrs. Barr said, gently cupping his face.

Kevin smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Did you remember to exchange half your money for Euros?" Mr. Barr asked.

"Yes, I did." He gave his father a quick hug before turning away and following Edd. He glanced over his shoulder and waved at them. They waved back and continued to do so until Kevin and Double D disappeared around the corner.

"For it being seven PM right now and the flight being a fair eleven hours long, but with Italy being the central European time, we should arrive in Italy at approximately noon tomorrow," Edd said as they made their way through the gate.

"That almost didn't make sense to me, but okay," Kevin said. They reached the end of their walk and Double D stopped in his tracks. The redhead was about to step onto the plane when he noticed the lanky teen was no longer by his side. He turned and raised an eyebrow at Edd. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Double D shifted his eyes back and forth from the plane entrance and Kevin. The redhead sighed, understanding what the problem was. He smiled and placed his hand on Edd's shoulder. "Scared of flights?"

"I wasn't aware I was..." Edd looked down at his feet in defeat.

"Hey," Kevin whispered, gently rubbing the other's shoulder. "It'll be fine, alright? I promise." Double D slowly looked up at the redhead and smiled slightly.

"Come on," Kevin said as he entered.

Edd hesitated a bit before taking a deep breath and walking in afterwards. Their seats were towards the middle. Kevin asked Double D whether he would prefer to sit by the window or the edge. The sockhead chose the edge and Kevin took his seat. Edd sat down and clutched his laptop bag in his arms. He looked over at the redhead who was now opening up his travel guide of Florence. Edd couldn't help but smile.

"I see you're getting prepared," he commented.

The emerald-eyed teen nodded and grinned at Double D. "It's always good to be. You taught me that."

Double D felt his stomach flip. "Y-yes, indeed I did." The fact that Kevin remembered made Edd feel somewhat special and he didn't quite get why.

The plane remained still for a while, but once it began to move, Edd tensed up a little in his seat and Kevin's immediate action was grabbing his hand.

"Dude, relax," he told Double D. "I promised you." The redhead gave Edd's hand a reassuring squeeze and Edd's nerves weren't about the plane ride anymore.

The sockhead looked away, hoping Kevin would free his hand, but when he didn't, he let out a quiet sigh. _Hand holding. Oh, do not overreact to this, Eddward_, he bit down on his lower lip. Kevin finally let go after the plane went up and was steadily flying. Edd spent the first two hours reading Anna Karenina while Kevin just sat there, listening to his music. The emerald-eyed teen didn't bother reading any more of his travel guide, but when three more hours passed, he picked it up again. _Five hours down, six more to go, _he thought to himself as he flipped through the pages.

His eyes were beginning to feel a little sore. He put the book down on his lap and rubbed his eyes before looking over to find a sleeping Edd. The redhead closed the guide and smiled at the sight of Double D snuggled up in his seat, facing him and snoring softly. It made him yawn and realize how tired he actually was. He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. It didn't take him long to drift off into a deep sleep and they both didn't wake until they arrived at their destination.

* * *

They landed at the Peretola airport at noon just as Double D had predicted. No surprise there.

"I'm feeling really jetlagged right now, I could literally fall onto the floor and sleep," Kevin said as they made their way to the baggage claim.

"You just slept half of the plane ride here," Edd told him.

"Yeah, but I'm still tired."

Double D giggled. They waited until their bags came into view. Edd reached out to grab his, but Kevin gently held him back.

"I got it." The redhead reached over and grabbed all three of his friend's bags. He handed one over and tossed the others aside.

"I could have taken those as well, you know?" Edd narrowed his eyes at Kevin.

"Yeah, but you were taking too long." Kevin grinned as he retrieved his things and turned to face the ravenette. "Alright, so are we taking a bus or something to um.. the Palazzo... err.. Magnani Fettuccini-"

"Feroni!" Edd wailed his hands in the air and sighed. "I told you many times already."

"Well excuse me for not being an expert at Italian."

Double D got a good grip on his bags and began walking off. Kevin quickly adjusted himself and jogged to catch up with the blue eyed teen.

"I was thinking we would just walk," Edd said.

"Walk?! But we don't even know how to get there."

"That is why we get a map and ask for directions, Kevin."

"I'm not walking."

"Why not?"

The redhead's eyes widened. "I told you, I'm tired."

Double D frowned. "But walking gives us a chance to really see everything."

"Can't we just take a damn bus? We'll explore and stuff tomorrow."

"But Kevin." Double D stopped walking and turned around.

Kevin raised his eyebrows when he saw the disappointed look in the other's eyes. "Are you trying to guilt trip me?" _Because it's working. _

"Why would I do that?" Edd tilted his head a little.

The emerald-eyed teen growled. "Fine, we'll walk, but we better stop and get something to eat. I'm starving." He walked ahead of his friend and Edd stayed behind a moment to smile and praise himself.

Although that pride faded after asking one of the airport securities that knew English very well, yes that was lucky, for directions, because Double D realized the walk would actually be at least an hour and immediately decided against it. Kevin sighed in relief and allowed himself to do his own mental victory cheer. _Sight seeing tomorrow then. _They made their way to the front desk and asked for a taxi. Since the taxi would take around fifteen to thirty minutes, Kevin and Edd sat down as they waited.

"Does it make you feel a little weird that we're this far from home?" Kevin asked.

Double D thought about it and nodded. "It does, but it also feels quite exciting. My parents have traveled many times before, but I've never gotten the chance to join them in any of their business trips because of school." He looked sadly down at his hands and sighed. "It doesn't bother me as much as it used to. It all worked out, though, considering I didn't want to miss on any schoolwork and I'm here now... with _you_." Edd smiled softly.

Kevin's lips parted as he stared at the blue eyes looking at him. He wiped his hands on his jeans and forced his mouth shut as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, man. Here we are. Together." He smiled genuinely.

The rest of their wait was in silence as they just examined their surroundings. People came rushing in and out. Kids kicked and screamed. Some said their goodbyes and watched as the other walked away. A young man, around his late twenties, wearing a white collar button down and blue jeans entered the building and stood in the far corner. He held up a sign that read "Kevin Barr" and searched the room for someone to notice him.

The sockhead looked over and saw the sign. He tapped Kevin's shoulder and pointed at the man. The two stood up and made their way over to him.

"Mr. Barr?" The man asked, his voice carrying a thick accent.

_Mr. Barr? _Emerald eyes smirked and nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"Please, follow me." The driver lead the way out of the airport and to the white car with the sign 'taxi' above it.

The teens got into the backseat and told the driver where they wanted to go. He nodded and headed off; slowly. The traffic was barely bearable. Many people on foot kept crossing the street in groups. Kevin groaned and crossed his arms as he sat back. Edd covered his mouth as he giggled.

"Patience, Kevin," he told the redhead.

"Yeah, yeah." Kevin rolled his eyes.

The long ride ended after what seemed like forever. Kevin was just antsy to get some food and rest. Edd enjoyed the drive. He was still able to stare out the window and see all the buildings he had only read about and seen on the internet. To finally be able to see them in person made goose bumps rise all over his arms and legs. The driver stopped in front of the Palazzo Magnani Feroni. Kevin quickly paid and thanked the man before stepping out behind Edd. Double D gasped in amazement as he stared up at the building in front of them. He smiled a wide gap-tooth revealing smile as he stepped forward. They walked through the front glass doors and stepped up the cement steps only to freeze in their tracks midway as they saw what lied ahead. On the right, a row of red velvet loveseat couches faced each other with coffee tables in between them. Sculptures were lined up against the same cream colored wall. At the end stood a marble wall with a plant in front and yet another loveseat couch next to it.

"Wow," they breathed out. Kevin and Eddward made their way passed the opened iron doors and slowly walked passed the couches. People were seated in some of them, having casual conversations with each other and sipping coffee. Occasionally, one or two people would look over at the doors as if expecting to see someone.

Edd's mouth was partly opened as he gazed up at the tall windows.

"This is the lobby?" Kevin asked, his jaw dropped open as he took in the view. "It looks like a hallway in some mansion or palace."

Double D faced his redheaded friend. "Well, 'Palazzo' is Italian for 'palace'."

Kevin squinted his eyes. "I knew that." He shook his head and made his way to the check in desk.

The receptionist was a little baffled by Kevin's English, but she tried her best to understand him.

"We just want one room," the redhead said, lifting up one finger. "Two beds." He put up another finger.

"Ah-yes," the receptionist nodded and smiled as she typed something in her computer. She asked for how long they were staying and when Kevin responded with, "Around a month", she lifted her head and gave him a confused look.

He sighed and said, "Just put us up for twenty days, I guess." As she added that in, Kevin leaned over the counter and whispered, "I honestly don't know how long we're staying."

The blonde didn't really understand what he meant by that, but she smiled.

"Do I have to pay now?" He asked her.

"Now or when you leave, but if you will pay later, I need your card." She held out her hand.

Kevin shuffled through one of his bags until he found his father's credit card that he was only allowed to use if he actually needed it. He shrugged and handed it over. She asked for the usual information before giving him the key to one of the Feroni suites. Kevin turned around to find Edd slowly walking around the huge environment, looking over every painting on the walls. He smiled and went over to join the sockhead.

"Got our room," he said, startling Edd.

"Kevin," Double D squeaked and Kevin erupted into loud laughter. "I don't appreciate you finding that so amusing." The sockhead furrowed his eyebrows.

The redhead cleared his throat and smiled. "I'm sorry, Edd. I couldn't help myself." He grabbed Double D's wrist and placed the key in the palm of his hand. "Let's get up there and see our room before we go eat."

Edd looked down at their hands that were still making contact. He agreed and pulled his hand away, holding tightly onto the key. Kevin followed him over to the lift.

"No way," Kevin said, his eyes widening. "There's a couch inside the elevator!" He stepped in and took his seat.

"Oh, Kevin," Edd said with a smile as he sat down next to the redhead.

They were lifted up to their floor, Kevin enjoying himself a little too much in which Edd found to be entertaining to see. As the y stepped out of the lift, other guests made their way inside. Double D walked closely next to Kevin to their suite. The redhead looked at each door and stopped once he found theirs. Edd unlocked the door and opened it, letting it sway gently to the wall.

"I don't think I have ever seen so much beauty in just one hour before," he commented as he walked into the suite.

It was large; tall ceilings and wide space. The decorations and furniture were in pure vintage style. Creams, reds, and browns filled the living room. There was a couch and sofa with a coffee table in the middle of them and a mirror with a golden frame on the wall above a small table where champagne bottles stood. A desk in the corner caught Edd's attention. He walked over to it and grabbed the note resting on it: _We are happy that you have chosen the Palazzo Magnani Feroni. We hope to be at great service as you enjoy your stay in the beautiful city of Florence_, it read. There was also numbers to the room and maid services and to the lobby. Edd went along to investigate the other rooms while Kevin was still stunned by how high the ceilings really were.

The blue eyed teen entered the bedroom and his eyes widened. "O-oh my." He brought his hand to his mouth as he stared at the king size bed. The only bed in the only bedroom in the suite. "Kevin!" Edd called out.

Kevin was checking the champagne bottles when he heard his name. "Yeah?" He called back.

"Could you come here, please?"

The redhead set the bottle back down and hurried over to the bedroom. "What is it?" He asked, but knew the answer once he saw the bed. "One bed? I told her two! I did." Kevin crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"She must have just misunderstood, it happens." Edd smiled.

"I can sleep on the couch and you can take the bed."

"Nonsense. The bed is large enough for us to both be comfortable on our own sides. We won't even bump into each other."

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, man. I'm kind of a crazy sleeper."

"I don't think that will matter." Edd smiled sheepishly to himself as he turned away and exited the room.

The redhead smirked and glanced over his shoulder at his friend. "Alright, cool with me." He walked out to join Double D by his side and said, "Now let's get some damn food."

* * *

A/N: If I screwed up on the time thing, my apologies. Math is not my strong subject, lol.


	3. A Taste of Envy

A/N: This took me longer than I expected, but here it is now. It's a short chapter, yes. Enjoy ~

* * *

The pizzeria Dante was near the hotel; good for Kevin who had a huge craving for pizza. He and Edd walked into the small building where half the tables were already taken. The scenery reminded Kevin of a vintage home; comfortable and homey. Wine bottles were stacked on shelves on the walls.

"Hey, man," the redhead whispered to Edd. "We're old enough to drink here."

Double D sighed and shook his head. "That isn't going to change anything for me."

"Aw, come on, Edd."

"Hello!" A waitress greeted. "The hostess is busy with something, but I can help. Table for two?"

"Yes," Edd said with a smile.

"Follow me." The brunette grabbed two menus and headed off to a table with the two friends following behind.

"Is she American?" Kevin asked Edd in a whisper. "She speaks perfect English with no accent."

"Does it even matter, Kevin?" Double D sighed.

"I'm just saying, she's kinda cute." The redhead grinned and took his seat at the table.

Edd furrowed his eyebrows a little, not being able to help the jealousy he felt inside. He took his seat across from Kevin and took the menu handed to him. The brunette gave Kevin his menu and she asked them if they wanted anything to drink.

"Some of your finest wine," Kevin told her.

The girl laughed softly. "When did you two get here?"

"A little over an hour ago."

"And how long are you planning on staying?"

Kevin looked over at Edd, but the sockhead remained quiet as he looked through his menu.

"Uhh, we'll see," Kevin answered.

The brunette nodded. "Ah, I remember when I first got here to Florence. I really didn't have a plan. I just wanted to get the hell away from my parents for a while, but I ended up staying. It's been five months." She sighed. "But I doubt you want to hear my whole story."

Double D finally looked up from the selection of pastas and huffed, but he forced a smile and said, "Why, of course we would like to hear your story, but don't you have a job to do?"

Kevin's eyes widened. Eddward Marion Vincent did have a sass mouth, but the redhead was still surprised to hear that comment. The girl blinked a few times and laughed nervously.

"Yes, you're right," she said. "I'm sorry for bothering you two. Uhh, so how does two glasses of Brunello di Montalcino sound? It's my personal favorite red wine."

Double D opened his mouth to protest, but Kevin talked for him, "Yep, sounds good!"

The brunette smiled at Kevin before walking off.

"Okay, Edd, what the hell was that attitude all about?" The emerald-eyed teen asked.

Edd tilted his head a little and smiled innocently. "What attitude, Kevin?"

Kevin pursed his lips, trying to hold in his laughter, but it came out anyway. "You never stop amazing me, dude."

Double D giggled a little himself. The waitress returned with a wine bottle and two glasses. She filled each glass halfway with the red liquid and set the bottle aside. She took out her notepad and smiled at the two.

"Ready to order?"

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I'll have the Fiorentina pizza." He grinned at her and again, Edd furrowed his eyebrows.

It felt ridiculous to be jealous. Kevin and him were just friends. Nothing else, but that didn't stop the feeling. The brunette wrote Kevin's order down and looked at Edd.

"I would like the ravioli filled with ricotta cheese and spinach and spicy tomato sauce," he told her.

She nodded as she wrote it down. "Okay, I'll be back with your food." The brunette picked up the menus and left the table again.

Kevin grabbed his glass of wine and held it up. "To an awesome trip in Italy."

Double D wrinkled his nose a little, but he held up his glass as well. "Cheers." He smiled and they clinked their glasses together.

The redhead took a gulp of his drink and watched as Edd slowly raised the glass to his lips and sipped some of the liquid. He kept it in his mouth, getting a better taste of it before swallowing.

"So, is it poison?" Kevin teased.

Double D narrowed his eyes at him and the redhead chuckled. But Edd felt relaxed and content with him. Part of him was scared; scared that he was in a different country, away from everything he was used to, but knowing Kevin was there with him made him feel safe, like nothing bad could ever happen. They both took another sip of their drink.

"This isn't so bad," the sockhead admitted. "Perhaps I should loosen up more."

Kevin nodded. "Perhaps you should." He smirked and leaned over the table a little. "I'm glad you said yes, Edd."

Heat started rising on Edd's cheeks. "As am I." He smiled shyly. "It seemed crazy, but being here now, I know I would have regretted it if I would have denied the offer. But may I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"If I did say no, would you have picked someone else?" Double D really wanted to know the answer to that, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe he wanted to feel special in some sort of way and Kevin definitely made him feel important when he shook his head.

"Nah," the redhead said. He sat back in his seat and sighed, wanting to say more, but he didn't know how to get the words out. He looked up to make eye-contact with the sockhead. "Only... only you."

The corners of Edd's lips twitched up slowly. Their waitress returned. She placed the pasta in front of Double D and handed the pizza to Kevin. Kevin's stomach growled and he licked his dry lips.

"Enjoy, boys," the brunette said, smiling at them before leaving them alone again.

The emerald-eyed teen grabbed a slice of the pizza and bite a large piece out of it. "M-m-m!" He smiled with delight at the taste. "Real Italian pizza. Oh, fuck yes."

Edd giggled slightly. He ate his pasta slowly while Kevin ate his way through the whole pizza.

"How's your food?" The redhead said through bites.

Double D winced at the sight of his mouth filled, but he ignored it and answered, "It's quite delicious. Want a try?" He held up his fork with a piece of ravioli on it and smiled.

Kevin put the slice of pizza down and smirked. "Sure." He opened his mouth.

Edd's heart sped up, so as naturally as he could be, he moved the fork forward and Kevin took the ravioli off it with his teeth.

"Damn, that is good," the redhead said with a grin. He looked down at his pizza. "Wanna try some of this?"

Double D couldn't say no. It did look appetizing. He nodded and Kevin handed him a slice. The two ate and discussed the many things they wanted to do during their stay in Italy. Edd's list being mostly of seeing certain museums, which didn't sound entertaining at all to Kevin, but he tried to seem excited. They both went through three glasses of wine before they left. The redhead paid while Edd waited by the door.

"We should hang out sometime," the brunette waitress said to Kevin.

Kevin smiled at her. "Yeah, that'd be cool... uh..." He looked at her nametag. "Ah, Megan."

Megan giggled. "Yeah. What's your name?"

"Kevin."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Kevin. Looking forward to seeing you again." She patted his arm and smiled.

Edd frowned and looked away. Megan wanted to hang out with Kevin. That meant there would be one night, or more, that Edd would be left alone, which was exactly what he feared. The emerald-eyed teen nodded and walked over to join Double D.

"It's no surprise you're already making friends here," the sockhead told him as they walked out.

"Don't worry about us hanging out, dude," Kevin said. "If we do hang out, you're coming with us. I wouldn't leave you."

"Nonsense." Double D smiled. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"But you wouldn't be. This is _our_ trip. We're doing things _together_." He grabbed Edd's hand. "Got it?"

The sockhead smiled, but shook his head. "I don't want to be a burden on your fun."

_But babe, _Kevin thought,_ you have no idea how much I wanna just be with you._ He chuckled and said, "You won't be. You never are."

Double D felt weak at the knees. He realized their hands were still making contact and he looked down at them. Kevin immediately let go.

"Oh, sorry," the redhead mumbled.

"It's fine."

The two made their way back into the hotel and up to their room; Kevin still being overly-amazed by the couch in the lift.

"Nap time!" Kevin said as he headed into the bedroom.

"That sounds amazing." Edd followed him. He paused at the doorway as he watched the redhead get on the bed.

"What?" Kevin asked. "I don't bite... unless you want me to." He smirked.

Double D rolled his eyes and went ahead to get on from the other side.

"Sharing a bed isn't so bad," Kevin said, rolling over onto his side to face Edd.

The sockhead yawned. "I agree." He smiled slightly and closed his eyes as he curled up.

Kevin watched how Double D gently breathed in and out, making his heart tingle inside his chest. He scooted a little closer to him before letting his eyelids shut.


	4. Into the Night

A/N: My apologies for long it takes me to get a chapter of this fic out. I'm just so into writing Three's A Crowd, because it's my favorite. But here's chapter four, finally!

Also, apologies if the Italian is off. I don't know Italian. I used a translator. Tee hee ~

* * *

It was only around seven PM when Edd woke from the nap. His eyelids slowly lifted, his vision still blurry. He stretched his arms out and yawned, but when his vision finally became clear again, he gasped to see how close he and Kevin were. Double D tried sitting up, but something was stopping him. He looked down to see his legs entangled with Kevin's. The redhead was still sound asleep, so Edd slowly pulled his legs out from underneath Kevin's, crawling away from him as he did so. Kevin groaned a little and turned over, his back now facing Edd. The sockhead smiled. He slowly stepped off the bed and stretched again.

"Are you trying to sneak off?" Kevin's voice startled him.

He jumped and spun around. "I thought you were still asleep."

Kevin smirked and shook his head. He sat up, sighing. "What time is it?"

Edd patted his jean pockets and smiled when he found his cell phone in his right pocket. Taking it out, he turned it on. "It is seven fifteen."

"Oh, man." Kevin sat himself up and rubbed his eyes. "We gotta go out and do something."

"Such as?"

The redhead grinned and got up from the bed. He said nothing as he walked into the living room of the suite. Edd hesitated, but sighed and followed him.

"What are you doing?" Double D asked once he saw how Kevin was looking through one of his bags.

"Ah, found it," Kevin mumbled. He turned around and held up his guide book. "I read somewhere in here about night clubs."

Edd frowned. "Night clubs? I'm not sure that would be a good idea."

"Oh, come on, Edd." The redhead pouted as he tilted his head a bit and Edd couldn't say no to those emerald eyes.

He sighed and nodded. "Very well, but don't expect me to do much dancing."

* * *

The two had to settle with taking another taxi. Double D found himself staring out the window the whole ride again, amazed at the sight of night time Florence. It was quite beautiful. He could see the Ponte Vecchio in the distance and he widened his eyes in awe. If it looked magnificent during the day, it certainly was breath-taking at night. He wanted to skip the club and just stare at it for as long as he could, but Kevin needed some fun, too. The cab stopped in front of Space Electronic where the loud music blasting from inside was heard clearly outside.

The redhead paid the driver and stepped out with Double D following behind. Edd stood close to Kevin. They stood in the line and watched as everyone got in, little by little. Double D noticed how most of them were dressed in nice clothes and he looked down at his own outfit.

"Kevin?" Double D swung his head back up even though it wasn't directed to him, but he recognized the voice.

It was Megan.

Kevin turned around and grinned at her. "Waitress during the day, party animal at night?"

She laughed and nodded. "Something like that." Megan looked over to see Edd and smiled sweetly. "Oh, hey... uh, I'm sorry. I didn't get your name earlier."

"It's Edd," Double D answered, a boredom look in his eyes.

She didn't seem to notice, or she didn't care to notice for all she did was turn her attention back to Kevin. "I'm friends with the people who work here," the brunette said. "So, I can get you in right now."

"Awesome." Kevin smiled and began to follow her while Edd stayed behind, not sure whether he could go with them or not. The redhead looked over his shoulder and stopped in his tracks. "What are you doing?" He asked Double D. "Come on."

Edd sighed and joined Kevin by his side once again. Megan did get them in with no trouble. The music inside was loud enough to make Edd cringe a little. He had to admit, he was still a bit groggy from the nap and being in such a loud environment was uncomfortable. All he saw was flashing lights and silhouettes of people dancing. He was standing so close to Kevin that their arms kept brushing as they walked through the crowd. Megan led the way to the bar.

"We have to start with drinks first," she said.

Kevin nodded. "I agree."

The bartender came over to them and greeted the boys with a smile. She looked at Megan and smiled even wider, "Buona sera, Megan!"

"Buona serata anche a te!" Megan said back.

Kevin's eyes brightened with amusement. Megan noticed and giggled.

"This is Valeria," Megan told him, motioning towards the bartender. "She knows some English."

"Yes, yes," Valeria said, her voice almost a whisper over the music. "I try."

"Cool," Kevin said, still wearing his amused expression.

Edd looked away from them and tried to see more of the environment, but it was almost impossible with the darkness. Megan ordered them beers and some shots of tequila. Kevin handed one of the shots to Edd.

"You expect me to drink that?" Double D asked.

The redhead leaned in a little more. "What?"

But Double D just sighed and shook his head. There was no point in repeating that. He didn't want Kevin to think of him as dull. He took the shot and smiled up at Kevin. The redhead grinned.

"To us!" Megan said, raising the small glass.

"Fuck yeah!" Kevin raised his and they both looked at Edd. Edd wanted to roll his eyes, but he smiled again and put his glass up.

They clinked the glasses together. Kevin and Megan chugged the liquid down with no problem and grabbed another. Double D looked at the tequila and took a deep breath before drinking it. It tasted awful in his mouth, but he shut his eyes and swallowed hard and winced a bit once it got down his throat. Kevin handed him another and he accepted it without wanting to. This time, the three of them chugged it down simultaneously.

"What are you planning on doing here?" Megan asked Kevin, her voice loud enough for him to hear.

Kevin grabbed one of the beers and shrugged. "Whatever Edd wants."

"Well, what do _you_ want to do?"

"This!" Kevin raised his bottle and smirked.

Megan laughed. "Well, drink up!" They clinked their bottles together and took large sips.

Double D furrowed his eyebrows and grabbed a beer. He practically chugged the whole thing down in one gulp. Kevin watched in awe.

"Whoa, Edd!" He said, taking the bottle away from the sockhead. "Don't forget to breathe."

Double D was relieved for Kevin doing that. He hated the taste of alcohol, but he didn't want Kevin knowing that. There didn't seem to be any room on the dance floor. People were grinding up against each other and even though it was almost pitch black, Edd could see their skins glistening with precipitation. He wrinkled up his nose and looked away.

After Kevin and Megan finished another beer and another shot, she grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor. Around six songs played and Edd remained at the bar, slowly sipping the beer, but before he could finish, he put it down and asked for water.

"Can't handle it?" A tall male with dark brown eyes and messy black hair asked Double D as took a seat next to him.

Double D laughed weakly and shrugged. Valeria returned and handed him a bottle of water. The sockhead quickly took a large gulp of it.

"Relax," the stranger said. "If you're here on vacation, which I assume you are like me, then have fun and lighten up a bit. You're in a complete different place. Feel free to go a little crazy."

Edd tilted his head a bit. "Yes, well, thank you for that advice..."

The man smirked. "Thank you for your sarcasm. I'm Jacob, by the way."

Double D sighed and looked over at his friend. Jacob followed his gaze.

"You wanna dance?" He asked Edd.

Edd furrowed his eyebrows and faced the stranger. "No, thank you. I-I think I will be joining my friends now." He slipped off the bar stool, but Jacob grabbed his wrist. Edd gasped and turned around. "Cease this at once!"

"Cease this?" Jacob laughed. "Who the fuck talks like that?"

"He does," an angry voice said from behind Edd.

The sockhead looked over his shoulder to see Kevin and Megan standing there. Kevin was glaring at Jacob, his hands in tight fists.

"Now let go of him," he told the stranger.

Jacob rolled his eyes and snickered, but he released Edd's wrist. Kevin wrapped his arm around Double D's neck and led him towards him the dance floor. Megan scoffed at Jacob and shook her head before joining the guys. Kevin felt warm and a little moist from becoming sweaty while dancing, but Edd didn't mind, but he did scowl as he became surrounded by tons of people.

He was still very sober while Kevin was getting in a drunken state with Megan and he mainly stood there next to them, trying to sway with the beat. Kevin and Megan danced closely together. Double D attempted to squeeze in between them, but the people dancing wildly around them only made it more difficult. After many shoves by those crazy dancers, Double D found himself tripping and falling into Megan's arms.

The brunette giggled and helped him stand up straight. "I'm the one getting drunk, but you're the one who can't keep your balance?" She laughed some more and spun around.

Kevin chuckled and looked at Edd. It was evident that the sockhead wasn't having a good time. The redhead grabbed Double D's hand and pulled him closer. Edd's eyes widened.

Kevin leaned in and whispered in Edd's ear, "Not having fun?"

Double D shook his head. He didn't want to admit it. He wanted Kevin to have his fun, but he couldn't lie. That atmosphere was not entertaining him, but he felt shallow and whispered back, "But we don't have to leave."

Kevin pulled away slowly, their lips being only an inch away as he stopped to make eye contact with him. Edd's lips parted slightly as his heart began to race and he held his breath.

"I want to go," Kevin whispered against his lips and Double D felt his hands start to shake, but he nodded, wide-eyed and nervous.

Without saying any goodbyes to Megan, Kevin grabbed Double D's wrist and headed out. Megan was too distracted dancing with someone else to notice. Once outside, Edd sighed in relief, finally feeling some fresh air in his lungs. He checked the time on his cell phone and gasped to see that only two hours had gone by. It felt longer than that.

Edd looked in the direction where the Ponte Vecchio was and smiled. "Before we get a taxi," he said, "May we take a walk?"

Kevin looked him as if he was crazy, but he smiled. "Sure."

From where they were, the view to see it was only a ten minute walk. They walked in silence. Double D looked around at the buildings with amazement in his big blue eyes. It was the same kind of awe he had when he was watching the fireworks. A tingly feeling started to form in Kevin's chest. He touched his lips and grinned. They hadn't kiss, but their lips brushed and that had already sent a rush of chills through his body.

"That girl," Kevin said. "She's not really my type."

"Really?" Edd blinked, tearing his attention away from their surroundings. "I believed she was."

Kevin chuckled and shook his head. "Nah." He rubbed the back of his head and looked up. "That's it over there, right?" He pointed to the arch bridge with bright lights.

Double D gasped and walked over to the edge. The lights sparkled on the Arno River and Edd brought his hands up to cover his mouth from how mesmerizing the sight was. Kevin joined him by his side and looked over.

"Looks nice," he said.

"It does." Edd gulped as he turned his head to look at Kevin. "If..." His voice was gentle.

Kevin faced him and raised his eyebrows. "If what?"

"If Megan is not your type... then... who is?" Edd asked this while recalling their little "moment" inside the club.

The redhead thought about his question. He looked down at the water and hid the smile forming on his face with his hand. "I actually don't have a type, but I'm not into Megan either way."

Double D nodded. He looked back over at the arch and smiled. Kevin stepped closer to him and gently grabbed his hand. The sockhead flinched a little and looked down at their hands. His eyes slowly rose to meet Kevin's emerald eyes and his cheeks instantly heated up. He moved his hand until their fingers intertwined and leaned in closer to the redhead and rested his head on his shoulder. He didn't know what it meant. Was it just friendly? Was there something more to it? Friends held hands, but he mainly thought it was girls who did so. He felt fuzzy and tired, but his insides felt so warmed with comfort. It was the perfect way to end their first night in Florence and he mentally thanked himself for accepting the invitation.


	5. The Journey Continues

A/N: I felt the need to ignore Three's A Crowd for today and get chapter five of this out right away to make up for taking so long to update it before. It's not a long chapter, but enjoy ~

* * *

In the course of three weeks, Kevin and Edd spent their time merely walking the streets of Florence, meeting new people and enjoying their surroundings. They visited attractions as well; the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte, Giotto's Bell Tower, Piazza del Duomo, the Uffizi Gallery, and pretty much anything Florence had to offer. Edd made sure to take plenty of pictures of each visit. He explained to Kevin the importance of each place down to every single detail. The redhead was amazed at how amazed he was by everything; by the attractions, by Edd's words... by Edd.

What he liked most was how the sockhead ended his statements after his explanations, saying, "It's simply magnifico." The way Double D said the word with his best attempt of an Italian accent caused such amusement in Kevin that he always ended up grinning like an idiot with his eyes widening after he heard it. Double D always tried not laughing at the grin, but it was something he had never seen on Kevin's face in all his time knowing him. Sure the redhead had many smiles, but nothing like that one. It was... cute.

Nights consisted of visiting the Ponte Vecchio, actually being on it instead of just looking. They mainly strolled through it, enjoying the sounds of others laughing. There were some nights where they would revisit the Space Electronic and Megan would be there and it would make Kevin feel a little relieved to have someone else there he knew. The girl liked keeping all her attention on the redhead, hardly acknowledging Edd, but Kevin made sure Double D got just as much attention. The two were in bed before the clock stroke midnight where they would sleep far apart from each other on the bed, but wake in each other's arms. How that always seemed to occur was beyond Double D, though he didn't complain. He liked waking up to Kevin's beautiful face, feeling the warmth of his body against his own was nice.

And each day he found his feelings turning into urges. Urges of wanting to call that man his. But he knew that was almost impossible.

* * *

"Where are we going next?" Kevin asked Double D as they made their way into the Palazzo Vecchio—their final spot to visit in Florence. Saving the best for last, as Edd had put it.

Edd grinned. He knew exactly what their next destination was to be. "Monte Carlo," he answered, sounding so proud.

Kevin made a puzzled look. "Where's that?"

"In Monaco."

"What the hell is that?"

Double D's eyes widened, but he blinked and furrowed his eyebrows at Kevin. "Did you not pay any attention in your geography class?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no?"

Double D sighed and shook his head. "I'll have you know many celebrities have gone there for events, including the Monte Carlo television festival."

Kevin nodded and shrugged. "Alright then." The two immediately looked up at the ceiling once they fully entered the building, something they did every time they entered somewhere new. It was force of habit, really.

They paid for their tickets and joined a group of other tourists waiting to start the tour throughout the museum. To Kevin, the museum seemed similar to the others they had visited. They had monuments and historical paintings on the marble walls. It was nice and spacious and Edd absolutely adored every inch of it. As they began to walk through, Edd absentmindedly grabbed Kevin's arm and held onto it as if it were to help him walk, which it probably was, considering he was paying more attention to the walls and scenery than on where he was walking.

When they reached the Sala delle Carte, Edd practically squeaked at the sight of all the maps in the room. Such a geography lover. The redhead wasn't even paying attention to the tour guide. He was listening to the sound of his heartbeat thudding loud enough to hear it in his ears. He swallowed hard, trying to remain calm, but Double D's presence made him a nervous wreck. Every time Double D gasped and pointed excitedly at something, all Kevin heard was a cheerful, sweet voice speaking in a slur. He couldn't understand what the sockhead said because of how fast and excited Edd spoke, but he liked it. He liked seeing Edd like this—so lost in thought and captivated. The only times before Kevin had seen Double D like that was when the sockhead had completed something that had been such a challenge in the beginning. He would be so proud of himself.

"And that concludes our tour," the tour guide said.

Kevin's eyes widened. "What? That only felt like five minutes."

Double D giggled. "Why, yes. Time slips by when we're enjoying ourselves." He finally let go of Kevin's arm in which Kevin frowned at, but Edd didn't notice.

"Arrivederci!" The tour guide smiled and headed out.

The group began separating as they made their way out of the building. Kevin waited as Edd spent a little more time looking over the paintings on the walls.

"Well, I suppose we could go now," Edd said as he returned to Kevin's side. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Where would you like to eat?"

Kevin thought about it and smirked. "Dante's. We have someone we should say goodbye to."

Edd turned his head so Kevin wouldn't see him and rolled his eyes. Megan...

* * *

Kevin busted into the restaurant and smiled wide once he spotted a certain brunette. Megan was finishing serving a table when she looked up and saw Kevin.

"Hey!" She quickly made her way over and wrapped her arms tightly around the redhead.

Kevin chuckled and squeezed her back. Double D sighed and crossed his arms.

"It's our last day," Kevin told the waitress.

Megan pouted. "I'm going to miss you. Where are you guys heading to next?"

"Monte Carlo," Edd answered.

"Really?" Megan grinned. "Wow, I've always wanted to go there. I hope you guys have fun." Her smile softened and she bit her lower lip gently. "Shall I show you two to your table?"

"Yeah." Kevin nodded.

They followed the brunette to the table and ordered the exact same thing they had their first day there. Megan brought them the wine, poured their drinks and said she would be back with their food.

"Hmm," Edd sighed. "I wonder if we'll find ourselves another Megan in Monte Carlo."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Would that be a bad thing? I think it was cool we found someone like her here."

"I suppose."

The redhead snickered. "You really don't like her, huh?"

Double D took a sip of his drink and shrugged. "I do like her. She's very nice."

Megan returned around twenty minutes later with the pasta and pizza. Like the first time, Kevin and Edd shared their food with each other.

"I will miss it here," Double D said. "It was really different from what I imagined."

"Yeah," Kevin said with a smile.

After they finished their meals, they paid and Kevin gave Megan a tip.

"Thanks handsome," she told him in her flirtatious voice that Edd couldn't resist narrowing his eyes at her.

"You're welcome," Kevin replied sweetly.

The brunette stepped closer to Kevin and sighed. "It was nice meeting you." But before Kevin could even say anything, her lips were on his.

Double D stepped back, mouth opened and eyes wide. He felt a pang of jealousy hit him like a ton of bricks and he just stared at them. The way she cupped his face and tried deepening the kiss made Edd scrunch up his nose and look away. Kevin placed his hands on her arms and gently pushed her off of him.

"Whoa..." he said, his expression confused and annoyed. "What was that?"

Megan smirked. "I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you."

Double D scoffed and furrowed his eyebrows. _So have I_, he thought_, and you don't see me kissing him..._

"Uh..." Kevin let go of her and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, but I haven't."

Megan's face immediately turned a bright shade of red and Double D had to cover his mouth with his hand to stop himself from laughing.

"O-oh," the brunette said, giggling nervously. "I-I thought-"

"I'm sorry, Megan," Kevin interrupted her. "Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

"No, no." The waitress shook her head. "It's okay. I shouldn't have-" Her eyes fell on Edd and she sighed. "I should have known..." She said under her breath.

Double D blinked and tilted his head. Why did she look at him and say that... he wondered.

Kevin cleared his throat. "Well, like you said, it was nice meeting you. Have a nice life, Megan." He gave her a lopsided grin and hugged her quick before turning and exiting the building.

Edd suddenly felt bad. He looked at the brunette with an apologetic expression and offered her a small smile. "Thank you for being so kind to us during our stay here."

Megan pursed her lips and nodded. Double D turned around, but she placed her hand on his shoulder. He faced her again.

"If you like him," she said, "Don't be afraid to make a move. I think he likes you too."

Edd gasped a little. "W-what?"

Megan giggled. "Don't try to deny it, Edd. I can tell by the way you look at him... how jealous you always looked whenever I talked to him. I'm sorry if I got in the way. I should have known."

"Oh... I-I." Double D shook his head. "He's only my friend. I don't harbor any feelings for him."

Megan raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

The sockhead just smiled. "Thank you again." And walked out.

* * *

Bright and early in the morning, Kevin and Edd made their way through the airport. Double D's heart was pounding with excitement and some fear from having to fly again. He took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly.

Kevin smirked a little as a thought came to mind. "You know what I find funny?" He looked over at Edd.

"What?" Double D asked.

"To convince you to come travel with me," Kevin started, "I said we give it a month and if you didn't like it, we'd go back." He chuckled. "Did you even realize what I meant by 'where are we going next'?"

Double D halted his walking and his eyes widened. The corners of his lips slowly rose. "I... I honestly had forgotten that deal."

The redhead threw his arm around Edd's neck and they started walking again. "Guess we're going to college next year."

Edd giggled and shook his head. "Normally, I'd be opposed to that idea, but I have to admit, I'm very fond of this journey with you."

Kevin pulled the sockhead even closer to him. _Journey?_ He looked up as he thought about it and then smiled slightly as he faced forward again._ Yeah, our journey._

* * *

I promise I won't take too long to update this story again. :)


	6. Paradise

A/N: I said I wasn't going to take so long to update this and guess what? I took long. I apologize. I'm just trying to get Three's A Crowd finished up so I can start on another fic and also focus more on this one.

Enjoy ~

* * *

"I don't see why we couldn't have just taken the train here," Edd said to Kevin as they grabbed their things from the baggage claim.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "I didn't know they had a train to come here and if you knew, you should have told me before we left."

Edd sighed. Well, he hadn't known either. He found out when they landed and overheard passengers talking about it. "It was a waste of time, really. The plane ride was only half an hour."

"Trains take longer than planes! Why are you complaining? We're here aren't we?"

"I'm only saying. We could have saved ourselves some decent money."

Kevin chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, fine. Next time, you're in charge of making the transportation arrangements." The redhead threw one of his bags over his shoulder and started walking. Double D quickly followed behind.

"And next time," he said, "You choose where we go."

Kevin immediately stopped and turned around. "What?"

Edd smiled softly and nodded. "Yes. I want you to choose where we go after we're done here."

"But... I-I." Kevin furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm not good with choosing and besides, I don't really have anywhere I really wanna go like you do."

"Nonsense! I'm sure there are plenty of places you've been wanting to go since you were a kid."

Kevin thought about it and shook his head. "Nope."

Edd raised an eyebrow. "I find that very hard to believe."

"Well, believe it 'cause it's true." The redhead grinned. "Come on, lets go check into a hotel so we can sleep."

Double D smiled and they started walking. As they did when they arrived in Florence, they asked for a taxi. But Double D did the talking. He asked for a taxi in French and Kevin listened in amusement from forgetting that the sockhead had taken French classes in high school. Once they got in their taxi, Edd asked to be taken to the Hotel de Paris.

"Is that a good one?" Kevin asked.

Edd nodded. "I've heard very nice things about it."

The redhead sighed and sat back. He really didn't care where they stayed. Like always, he just wanted food and sleep. The taxi stopped in front of the hotel. Kevin paid the driver but before he stepped out, he got a real look of the place. His jaw dropped. This had to be a joke. It didn't look like a hotel at all. It was more of a castle. Wide and tall, cream-colored walls, dark grey roof, dark brown pillars, and even steeples. There were angel statues built into the walls, giving the hotel more of the fairytale design. There was a round lawn with palm trees aliening it and in the center rested a fountain. The casino right next to it on the left also caught Kevin's attention. He had always wanted to go to a casino.

"Cool," he breathed out, trying to snap out of his trance as he got out of the taxi.

Double D was equally amazed. "It's even more beautiful in person."

The redhead smiled excitedly. Oh thank goodness Double D was great with choosing hotels. He followed the sockhead up to the front and as they entered, Kevin knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. If the outside looked that gorgeous, the inside would too. The lobby had the feel of a mansion—one side seemed as if it could be part of a living room while the other side was almost as a dining room and Kevin couldn't help but feel small as he and Edd stood in the middle, on top of the largest rug he had ever seen in his life. The floors and wall seemed to made of marble.

"Oh, shit," he said and it echoed. The other guests checking in looked at him in annoyance and he cleared his throat. "I mean... wow. I feel like I just stepped into an Ikea... but better. _Way _better. And expensive." The redhead looked to his right and flinched a little to see his reflection in a large mirror. He grinned at himself.

Double D giggled and nodded. "It is lovely."

Kevin's eyes shifted up to the ceiling. "It's way better than the Palazzo of Fettuccini."

Edd frowned at that. "It was Palazzo Magnani Feroni, Kevin."

"Yeah, yeah." The redhead chuckled. "I already love Monte Carlo." He looked to his left and flinched again to see another mirror. Then more in the right corner and way more on the far left. Those weren't exactly mirrors. They were merely glass pillars but Kevin used them as mirrors anyway as they made their way to the front desk.

"Bonjour," the concierge greeted them with a friendly smile.

Kevin was now distracted by the chandlers that he wandered off to go get a better look at them.

Double D sighed and shook his head, but smiled back at the employee. "Parlez-vous anglais?"

The concierge smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do. A room for two, sir?"

"Yes, please."

"May I suggest a suite?"

Edd furrowed his eyebrows a little. "Oh, we would like something that isn't too much in cost."

"Then a simple room?"

"Ah, yes."

"I recommend you get one with the sea view. It's very breathtaking."

Kevin's eyes widened when he heard that. He quickly made his way back over to Edd's side and smiled at the concierge. "A room with a view. Hell yeah."

"It may cost too much," Edd protested.

"Everything in this hotel is going to cost too much, Edd. I mean, look at it." Kevin raised his hands up. "Besides, we've got enough."

"We've already spent over a thousand."

Kevin just shrugged and looked at the other man. "We'll take it."

The concierge nodded and asked for their information. After the check-in details were put into the computer, they received their key card for their room. Kevin grinned excitedly and as if he were a child, he ran around one of the pillars and made his way up the wide staircase. Edd watched in amusement before following. Before going up the second flight of stairs, a room seen through glass doors caught Kevin's attention. Once Double D was by his side, Kevin pointed in the direction.

"There's a fitness room in this fucking hotel," he said. "What else is there?"

"Restaurants, wine cellars and a spa," a guest passing by said.

Kevin raised his eyebrows. "Nice." And they headed up to their room.

The room was a small, comfortable size. Two white and brown twin size beds with were up against the wall with a sofa at the end of each bed and a small glass coffee table in front of those. A sixteen inch flat screen rested inside a dresser shelf on the other side of the room. Two sets of double doors stood on each side of the TV. One set led into the bathroom while the other was a walk-in closet. Then there were the doors that led to the balcony outside.

Edd immediately opened those doors and stepped out. Kevin stayed behind a moment to look at the beds. He sighed quietly, feeling disappointment that there wasn't just one bed. He liked snuggling up to Edd in the middle of the night. Now he didn't have an excuse to do that.

"Kevin," Double D spoke softly. "Come look."

The redhead blinked hard and walked out onto the balcony. There was a small, round patio table with two chairs. But that wasn't what Edd wanted Kevin to see. Kevin looked out and froze momentarily to see the sight of the large body of water with dozens of boats and some ships floating on it. He leaned over the railing a bit to see the garden below. Tall palm trees, pink and yellow flowers around a few statues and neatly trimmed shrubs. There was a stone pathway that led to a dining area where most of the tables were occupied with guests enjoying some brunch.

Kevin licked his lips as his stomach growled and Double D giggled.

"Why am I not surprised?" Edd asked.

* * *

Kevin picked up the menu that rested on one of the coffee tables inside the room. He couldn't understand half of it, so he settled with ordering salmon and champagne. Edd decided on the same. The sockhead went ahead and took a shower while Kevin laid on his bed and watched TV, though it mainly just consisted of him flipping through channels. A knock at the door made his heart leap with joy—food had arrived. He slid of the bed and opened the door, stepping aside and allowing the hotel employee to bring in the cart with two covered sliver platters, two glasses, and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. Kevin couldn't help but grin at how fancy it looked. The employee uncovered one of the dishes and looked at Kevin for approval.

"Looks great," the redhead said. He quickly tipped the man before he left and walked over to the bathroom doors. "Hey, Edd. Food's here!"

"I'll be out soon," Edd replied, trying as fast as he could to dry himself off.

Kevin grabbed his plate and walked back out to the balcony to eat on the table. Double D stepped out of the bathroom and smiled to see where the redhead was. He had assumed Kevin would just eat on his bed.

"Come on, hurry up," Kevin told him.

Edd's smile faded and he rolled his eyes. He grabbed his plate and joined Kevin outside. The redhead opened up the champagne and poured Edd and himself a glass full.

"Thank you," Double D said, taking the glass from Kevin.

Kevin sighed, feeling very relaxed and content with... well, everything. It was as if he were in Heaven with the beautiful atmosphere, the hotel that made him feel like a prince, the over-priced meal that tasted better than anything he had ever had, then there was also that jaw-dropping view of the sea that sparkled under the sun. And the best part of it all was that Edd was there to live in the moment with him. He stared at the sockhead sitting across from him, chewing slowly to enjoy every taste of the salmon and the corners of Kevin's lips twitched up. Double D finally noticed and returned the gaze.

Kevin felt an ache in his chest. Oh how he wished he could just lean over and kiss that adorable face. He put his fork down and sighed in defeat.

"Is something wrong?" Edd asked.

The redhead scratched the back of his head for the sake of doing something to somewhat distract himself from how nervous he suddenly felt. "Nah, everything's cool."

"Are you sure?"

Kevin grabbed his glass and drank a large gulp of the champagne before nodding in response. He hated this, having to hide his feelings, but he felt he had to. He didn't know if Edd felt the same way or not and he wasn't sure how he could secretly figure it out.

Double D gently placed his hand on Kevin's. "You seem a little uneasy. Are you feeling sick?"

"Nope." Kevin shook his head. He looked at the small hand on his and furrowed his eyebrows. "Well... I think... I have something to tell you, Edd. It's..." He sighed and kept his head down. "It's nothing big. I just..."

"You just what?"

Emerald eyes met blue as Kevin raised his head. Curiosity lied in those big blues as Kevin tried to muster up the courage to say... well, he honestly didn't know what. He just wanted to say something... anything.

"You remember how you thought I was interested in Megan?" He asked.

Edd blinked. "Yes."

"I said she wasn't my type, but that's not really why I wasn't interested in her."

"Oh?" Double D raised an eyebrow.

Kevin let out of breathless laugh. "Yeah. There's another reason. There's someone else."

Edd sat up straight. His lips parted slightly, but he didn't know what to say to that. Should he ask who? Or wait until Kevin said something else? The redhead had his eye on someone else and even though Edd usually didn't care to know these kind of things, he did want to know now.

"He means a lot to me," Kevin spoke, bringing Edd's attention back.

"He?" Edd's heart felt as if it had momentarily stopped. His eyes widened as he stared at the man across from him, waiting anxiously for an answer.

Kevin remained silent for another few seconds before he smirked and casually said, "Yeah."


	7. Mister Luxury

A/N: It's shorter than I would like, but I just want to get to chapter eight already, which will be much longer.

There's a special appearance in this one... of a certain OC that belongs to a certain c2ndy2c1d. I mean, I think...

:)

* * *

Edd stared at Kevin with his eyebrows furrowed, but the redhead just began eating again. So that was it? He wasn't going to hear who this 'he' was. Edd sighed and looked down at his food. The two finished their meal in silence. Kevin was going to play hard to figure out and that was fine, Edd had no problem with a little challenge. Once everything was cleaned up and Kevin changed into a different outfit, they headed out.

"Do you think we can check out the casino?" Kevin asked as they made their way into the lobby. His eyes widened, momentarily dazed by the sight again.

Double D smiled and nodded. "Yes, I suppose that will be fine. We are here to enjoy every single thing Monte Carlo has to offer."

Kevin sighed. He didn't know why he even brought up the whole crush situation. He had no plans on telling Edd that it was him. It just slipped out and now he couldn't take it back. He knew the curiosity was bothering the sockhead, but he just didn't have the courage to tell him. Not yet, anyway. With time, he would gain the confidence. He simply needed to find the right moment. Maybe sitting in the balcony was the right moment, but no. There had to be a better one. Well, he certainly hoped so, because if there wasn't, he knew he had fucked up.

Many guests exited the hotel along with them and carefully made their way over to the building on the right. The casino was just as large and the same structure of the hotel. They walked in to see the modern vintage, marble decor. Some of the guests headed into a room right near the entrance. It sparked Edd's curiosity and he asked a few of what was in there. When they told him it was a theater, his mouth almost fell open. Keeping his eyes on the door, he started hitting Kevin's arm to get his attention.

"Kevin, there's a theater!" He said. "For opera! Kevin!" Double D turned to face the redhead with the largest smile Kevin's ever seen.

Kevin smirked. "Cool. Maybe we'll try going before we leave."

Edd wanted to jump up and down with joy, but he contained himself. They made their way up and paid for their entry. The Salle Europe had the same look as the entrance, but with more chandeliers and no marble pillars. It was practically packed with people, indulging themselves in games of French roulette, blackjack, and craps. Kevin and Edd started to walk around, looking for a spot they could join. Edd wasn't much comfortable being there with all these people gambling, but he smiled once he thought about how much Eddy would love being there.

"Aw, come on!" An exasperated voice broke him from his thoughts.

He turned to see a man in his mid-twenties throwing his hands up and shaking his head.

"Sorry, man," a younger man with teal hair that was neatly combed back grinned at the disappointed male. "Now hand over the money." He held out his hand.

Edd looked at his attire and knew this guy already had plenty of money. He wore a black suit with a light blue collar shirt and a navy blue tie.

"Who does this guy think he is?" Kevin asked as he noticed the man. They walked closer to the table and he crossed his arms.

The man who lost tossed his money on the table and walked out. Some people clapped their hands and cheered for the teal-haired one.

"Seems like a loser," Kevin mumbled. He tried turning back, but the man heard him.

"Ouch, that's kind of harsh."

Kevin halted in his tracks and rolled his eyes before looking over his shoulder. "I'm not sorry."

Edd narrowed his eyes at the redhead. "Kevin, please try being a little more considerate."

"Yeah," the teal-haired man said. "Like your dude said, be a little more considerate."

"He's not my dude," Kevin told him. "I mean, yeah we're friends, but uh-"

"Oh, so he's single?" The man grinned at him. "Good to know."

Edd's eyes widened and he quickly stood behind Kevin.

"The name's Goldberg," the man said. "Nat Goldberg."

"Goldberg," Kevin scoffed. "Of course it is."

Nat chuckled. "I like you already. Come join me in a little game of blackjack." He looked at the card dealer and gave him a signal.

Kevin furrowed his eyebrows. "Nah, we're good."

"Come on! One game wouldn't hurt ya."

"Perhaps it would," Edd said. "That gentleman you just made lose seemed very upset."

Nat nodded. "Yeah, but it's not my fault he sucks."

Kevin finally sat down and sighed. "Look, I would actually take up your offer in playing, but I'm not really good and I don't feel like losing."

"Fair enough, dude. Then do me a favor and at least stay while I challenge someone else. We can get to know each other."

Kevin looked up at Edd and the sockhead took the empty seat next to him. They watched as Nat began to play someone else. He made it look like the easiest thing.

"So," he said, "What are you two doing in Monte Carlo?"

"Vacation, traveling," Kevin told him.

"Looks like we got something in common." Nat grinned at the redhead. "Let me guess, just graduated?"

"How'd ya know?"

"You guys look so young, but also 'cause I just graduated this year, too."

Kevin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so you're eighteen?"

Nat nodded as he looked at the cards in his hands, and then smirked at the other players. Edd pursed his lips, knowing the teal-haired man was about to win again.

"And you're here alone?" Kevin asked.

"Yep," Nat answered. "Thought I could use some alone time, away from all my _butt_-lers."

Edd raised an questioningly eyebrow at the way Nat said 'butlers'.

"And my parents are out at sea," Nat continued. "They invited me to go with them, but I decided to take my own ship out here."

"You have your own ship?" Kevin asked and he wondered why he was so surprised. This guy was obviously richer than anyone he's ever known.

Nat scratched his cheek and Edd was drawn to the freckles on his face. "Yep," he answered, a little too casually. He looked up and smiled. "You guys want a drink?"

Kevin smiled. He could get used to hanging around with Nat. "Sure."

Nat whistled for one of the waiters to come over and asked for three cups of scotch. Eventually, he ended up beating out the players and earned himself more money. His small group of supporters cheered again. Their drinks arrived. Edd picked up his glass and sighed as he looked at the liquid. This was the most he had ever drank alcohol. Eddy had made him drink some at high school parties they would attend, but even then, he only took sips.

"You know," Nat said and Kevin and Edd looked at him. "It's kind of a shame you two aren't together. You guys would a sexy couple." He grinned, making Edd's cheeks burn.

Kevin cleared his throat, trying not to seem happy about that. "Well, uh..." He held up his glass. "Cheers to a good time in Monte Carlo."

Nat and Edd did the same and they all clinked their glassed together. Kevin watched as the sockhead slowly drank some of his drink and cringe a little as he swallowed.

"Still not used to it?" Kevin asked him.

Edd smiled softly and shrugged. "I'm getting there." They stared at each other, but Nat's clapping broke their concentration. Edd wanted to glare at him, but he just raised his eyebrows.

"You guys are so cute," Nat told them.


	8. Give Me Love

A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Nathan belongs to Acid.

Oh and you should listen to "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran :)

* * *

Kevin and Edd remained in the casino for longer than they expected to be there, watching in amusement as Nathan continued to win. Eventually, people didn't want to even dare playing against him and he decided it was time to leave, anyway. The three of them exited the building together. Nat looked up at the hotel admiringly before facing Kevin and Edd again. The evening air rustled through his hair.

"What kind of room did you two get?" He asked, turning back to face the other two.

"Just a regular room with a sea view," Kevin answered with a shrug.

The green-haired teen grinned. "Awesome, dude."

"But let guess, you got like the most expensive suite, right?"

Nat shrugged. "I don't know and I don't even care. I'm just using it for sleep and showers."

"How convenient," Edd said with a soft smile.

Nat grinned at him and Kevin just stared at them for a few seconds until he rolled his eyes and stepped in between them. The green-haired teen stepped back with his hands raised. Double D raised an eyebrow in confusion, but shrugged.

"Hey, cutie," Nat said to him. "Can I talk to Kevin alone real quick?"

_Cutie?_ Kevin squinted his eyes. Double D flushed a little at the nickname. He nodded and walked up ahead.

"Whataya wanna talk about?" Kevin asked.

"Him," Nat said, nodding his head in Edd's direction.

Kevin narrowed his eyes at him. "You can't have him."

"Because you want him right?" The freckled teen was grinning so much that Kevin wondered how that didn't hurt his cheeks.

The redhead crossed his arms and shook his head. Was it that obvious?

"How long have you two been traveling together?" Nat asked. "This isn't your first stop."

Kevin smiled. This guy was good. "Nah. We were in Florence, Italy for almost a month."

"Florence? That's romantic. Why didn't you confess your feelings there?"

_Because I'm a coward._ "I don't know." Kevin shrugged. "It just didn't happen."

Nathan nodded and tapped his chin. "Then tell him here."

"I-I want to, but I don't know how."

"The Japanese Garden."

Kevin raised his eyebrows. "The what? We're not in Japan, dude."

Nat scoffed. "Do you know anything about Monte Carlo?"

The redhead thought about it. Well, he only did research on Florence. He didn't bother really looking up anything about Monte Carlo or anything about Monaco. He grinned nervously and Nat chuckled.

"There's a garden called that here," the green-haired teen informed him. "It's by Larvotto beach and I happen to know that it's fucking romantic if you go there when the sun's almost down."

Kevin squinted his eyes. "You've taken a lot of people there, I assume."

Nat was grinning, but then he sighed. "No, my dad proposed to my mom there at sunset. She always talks about how romantic it was and stuff." He smiled softly and shrugged.

Yeah, this guy was pretty cool. Kevin gave him a side smile. "That sounds nice. Maybe I'll take Edd there."

"Not maybe. You will."

The redhead blinked. "Okay, I will."

"Really?" Nat grinned excitedly. "Because if you don't make a move fast, I might." He teased.

Kevin's smile immediately faded and was replaced with a glare. "We're out of here the second you try," he sternly said.

"Dude, it's cool. I don't take what's not mine."

Kevin sighed and started thinking of the ways he would say it. He had to use the right words. He didn't want to be that straightforward and say, "Hey, I like you." No. He wanted to be somewhat romantic about it. As he got himself deep in thought, Nat snapped his fingers in front of his face. Kevin furrowed his eyebrows and looked at him.

"What?" He asked.

Nat smiled. "Oh, you're back. Well, I guess you didn't hear me ask you if you and Edd wanted to go eat. I know you're probably all hyped up about taking him to the garden, but not tonight."

"Why not?"

"Because we just met." Nat pouted. "I want to get to know you guys more."

Kevin wanted to roll his eyes, but he shrugged instead. "Sure, dinner sounds good." It really did. They were in the casino so long that he hadn't realize how hungry he actually was.

* * *

Le Louis XV-Alain Ducass was one of the restaurants in the hotel that had a dress code of wearing a suit jacket and a tie. Edd had the right attire. Kevin, on the other hand, had to borrow something from Nathan. One look at the menu and Kevin had his head tilted in confusion. Everything sounded a little odd. _Lobster and ewe's curdled? I love lobster, but what the hell is ewe and why is it curdled? Wait, what?_ He wondered. He looked up from his menu to see Edd and Nathan were smiling as they looked through theirs. At least they found the food appetizing.

Edd ordered the Cookpot; chanterelle mushrooms and baby vegetables because he wasn't too hungry. Nat ordered the green riso with sautéed chanterelle mushrooms and a side salad. Kevin asked for the same because it was pasta and pasta was good no matter what. He trusted pasta. He didn't trust eating cooked farm rabbits.

The restaurant was very elegant and vintage styled. The chairs were cushioned and Kevin took full advantaged of that by sitting back and rubbing his bottom on it. Edd narrowed his eyes at him in disapproval, but Kevin just smiled and continued doing so. Every table was covered in nice white cloth, a gold platter underneath each plate, and a center piece of pink and yellow flowers. Chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, no surprise there. There seemed to be chandeliers everywhere. Same with mirrors. There was a glass table near the entrance with a large vase of flowers that really gave off a more bright color to the mostly beige and gold room. Kevin found himself staring at a lot at the framed pictures on the walls that seemed to have been taken in the 1600s.

_I don't think I'll ever get used to all this fancy stuff, _he thought to himself.

It took no longer than twenty minutes for their food to arrive. Kevin stared at the pasta, picking up his fork slowly. Nat had no problem digging right in. Edd ate slowly as usual, a smile on his face as he hummed lightly, clearly loving his food. Kevin twirled some of the pasta with his fork and held up. He started by sniffing it, then licked it a little.

"Just eat it," Nat said. It was amusing to see the redhead inspecting the food, though.

Kevin sighed and stuffed it into his mouth. He smiled, relieved that it wasn't so bad. It was actually really good.

"So." Nat licked his lips and cleared his throat. "How long have you guys known each other."

Double D wiped his mouth and swallowed before saying, "Oh, we've known each other since we were children."

The green-haired teen gaped at them. "Wow... wow..." He closed his mouth and squinted his eyes at Kevin. "No wonder."

Kevin glared at him.

Edd raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. I don't follow. What is it that you don't wonder?"

Nat grinned and shook his head. "Nothing, dude. Were you guys always friends?"

Kevin and Edd were silent and Nat knew the answer.

"Just didn't get along as kids or something?" He asked them.

"Yeah, something like that," Kevin said, his cheeks beginning to get a light tint of pink as he suddenly regretted ever being mean to the sockhead. At least he stopped his bullying and they were able to become friends.

Nat nodded. "Cool, cool." And took another fork full of pasta into his mouth. "What about college?" He asked as he chewed.

Edd wrinkled up his nose in disgust and Nat snickered. The green-haired teen swallowed and apologized.

"I'll attend college next year," Edd answered him.

"What about you?" Nat looked at Kevin.

Kevin sighed. "I guess I will too."

"You guess?"

The redhead put his fork down and shrugged. "Well, yeah. I'm not even sure if I wanna go. I didn't get in with a football scholarship like I wanted, so after that failed, I didn't want to think about college."

"So you didn't even bother applying?"

Kevin shook his head and took a sip of his wine. "Nah. I don't even know if college is right for me."

Nathan smiled. "Yeah, that's what I thought, too, but then I got to thinking, that maybe it wouldn't hurt to give it a try."

Kevin thought about it. Hmm, there was no harm in giving anything a try. He smiled at Nat. "You know, maybe you're right."

Nat snorted. "Of course I'm right."

And Kevin's smile faded. He narrowed his eyes at the green-haired teen who just grinned at him in return. Double D giggled at them.

"Ah, well," Double D said, "Thank you Nathan for being so kind to us."

Nat rolled his eyes. "Dude, call me Nat."

"_Nat_," Edd said with a hint of annoyance. "Please refer to me as Edd, not _dude_."

Kevin chuckled and Nat sighed.

"Fair enough."

* * *

Since Kevin wanted to take Edd to the Japanese Garden at sunset, the two spent their day at Larvotto beach. It was very packed, but they managed to find a good spot. Edd went on and on about how Kevin should apply sunscreen and if he didn't, he'd be risking getting terrible sunburn or worse, skin cancer. After hearing this five times, the redhead gave in. Anything to stop the lecturing. They had spent most of their time there watching others play volleyball, splash each other in the water before they got up from their spot.

Double D didn't want to go into the water, but Kevin eventually picked him up and carried him over, completely ignoring the sockhead's complaints. Kevin ran full speed into the water, making a huge splash. He put Double D down and laughed at the annoyed expression he wore. Edd crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Do you really find this to be funny?" He asked Kevin.

Kevin shrugged. "Yeah, a little." He started laughing even more, but gasped when he felt water on me. His eyes widened in surprise. Edd had actually splashed him.

"Oh, do you really find _this_ to be funny?" Kevin raised his eyebrows and pointed at himself.

Double D smiled wide, enough to reveal the gap between his teeth. "I find it very amusing." And was splashed back.

Despite all the protests Edd was making, Kevin didn't stop and Edd knew that, so he decided it wouldn't do be horrible to play this little game. Double D wanted to return to the hotel to wash up, but Kevin stopped him to tell him he wanted to go somewhere else.

"Where to?" Edd asked, tilting his head in confusion. "The sun is almost down."

_Exactly, _Kevin thought. "Just... trust me. Come on. Let's go!"

They walked over to their destination, but before Edd could see what it was, Kevin covered his eyes with his hands.

"Kevin..." Edd softly said.

The redhead grinned. "Just want it to be a surprise." He uncovered Edd's eyes and Edd gasped to see what lied in front of them. It was a directory, but it had the name Japanese Garden on it and Double D almost jumped with joy. He had read plenty of things about this garden and he was expecting to go there during their stay in Monte Carlo, but he didn't expect Kevin to bring him there.

"Why are we here?" He asked.

"Because..." Kevin started walking off and Edd quickly followed behind.

Guests were leaving and the place was practically empty, but under the orange and purple evening sky, the garden looked even more beautiful. They stopped walking once they reached the small red bridge and Edd leaned over to see the many colorful small fish jumping around in the pond. He smiled at the sight.

Kevin could feel his heart started to race faster as he took out his phone. "Hey, Edd," he said.

"Hmm?" Double D was too distracted by the fish to give Kevin any eye-contact.

"Who did you say was your favorite artist when it came to romantic songs?"

Double D blinked. "I believe I said Ed Sheeran."

"Alright, got it." Kevin looked up the singer and furrowed his eyebrows in frustration when he couldn't decide on what song to pick, but he finally settled on one.

The sound of the music starting made Edd look up. He slowly turned his head to face the redhead with an eyebrow raised.

Kevin took a deep breath and held out his hand. He didn't even have to ask. Edd knew what this meant. The sockhead smiled and took Kevin's hand. Kevin pulled him closer and placed his other hand on Edd's waist as they began to slowly sway together to the song. Edd really liked this song and he wondered idly how Kevin knew that, but did it really matter? This whole thing was sweet and thoughtful of him. Maybe too sweet. What was the whole point to this, to take him to this beautiful garden at night and ask for a dance? It didn't make sense, but maybe it wasn't supposed to.

_**"Give a little time to me, we'll burn this out.**_

_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around.**_

_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow.**_

_**My, my, my, oh give me love."**_

Double D sighed and stepped a little closer to Kevin, enough to rest his head on Kevin's shoulder. The redhead swallowed the lump in his throat, but his heart was still beating rapidly. He had to tell him now. It was _the _right moment and he couldn't skip out on the opportunity. _I'll regret it if I don't tell him now_, he thought to himself_, so just fucking say it!_

"Edd," Kevin said softly.

Edd looked up at him. His big blue eyes sparkled as he smiled.

"I have something to tell you," Kevin told him.

"What is it?"

Shit. Why was it so hard to tell someone your feelings for them? Why did it always have to be so hard? Kevin feared rejection and if Edd didn't feel the same, he knew that meant the rest of their trip would be fucked. The redhead licked his lips and in an attempt to stall more time, he slowly dipped Edd. Double D almost gasped, but he sighed in relief when he realized what Kevin was doing. They stood up straight and Double D went back to resting his head on Kevin's shoulder as they swayed slowly again.

"Whatever it is," he said, "I'm sure it isn't so bad."

_Great_, Kevin thought, _he can tell I'm being a nervous little shit about it. _He nodded. "Alright, I'm going to tell you. Don't laugh, though, okay?"

"I won't."

_**"Give me love like never before.**_

_**'Cause lately I've been craving more.**_

_**And it's been a while but I still feel the same."**_

Kevin smiled. "I like you, Edd."

Double D looked up again, his eyes very wide as if he had just seen something horrifying and Kevin felt sick to his stomach. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything.

"Well..." the redhead sighed. "I-I'm sorry... I just-" But he was silenced by soft lips being pressed against his and he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

_**"Give a little time to me, we'll burn this out.**_

_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around.**_

_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow.**_

_**My, my, my, oh give me love."**_


	9. Clown fish & Sharks

A/N: I have this fanfic completely outlined. It's going to be 21 chapters.

* * *

Kevin felt as if he had some sort of weight lifted off his chest. He had no idea it would feel this good to confess his feelings and the fact that Edd felt the same only made it all the better. But now Kevin really wished they only had one bed in their room. He asked Edd a few times if he wanted to cuddle, but the sockhead would just smile shyly and refuse to, saying that in Florence, he only slept in the same bed as Kevin because he had to. Since there were two beds, it would be a shame not to use both.

No.

It would be a shame not to cuddle.

But Kevin let it slide.

In their two weeks of being in Monte Carlo, the couple revisited the casino many times. Double D always stood aside and watched Kevin and Nathan clear out many other's pockets. The sockhead always felt bad seeing the victims walk out of there, feeling disappointed in themselves, but he also couldn't help but feel pride for Kevin. He did grow up with a best friend who always won other's money, so this was all too familiar.

The two always found themselves watching opera. Kevin almost couldn't keep his eyes opened throughout the whole show, but he tried his best. He didn't want to upset a certain ravenet who sat there next to him with a huge grin on his face.

_Seriously, this is so fucking boring, _Kevin thought to himself and sighed. He hated having to dress up in a suit again. It was hot and uncomfortable. And he was only dealing with this for Edd. If it was anybody else, he would have walked out and left them too from how irritated he was becoming. Well, he would stay for Nazz too, but luckily for him, he wouldn't ever have to do this kind of thing for his best friend. She wasn't into watching people singing at the top of their lungs for entertainment.

But after that was over, Kevin was filled with bliss to be able to return to his bed and sleep the rest of the night away. Double D just shook his head as he watched the redhead drift off into a deep sleep. How does one find sitting in the same seat for hours tiring? Apparently for Kevin, it was quite the task. Edd sighed and took a quick shower before going to sleep himself since he knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep very well anyway. There was just too much excitement running through him from knowing where they were going the next day.

A smile spread across his face as he got into bed and turned over onto his side. The balcony doors were open, letting in the fresh night air. Double D sighed as he stared at the stars in the dark sky. If perfection even existed, then this would be perfection. Everything was right—much better than Edd could ever possibly imagine. Before what happened between them at the Japanese Garden, Edd could never say he could see himself and Kevin together in such a way.

But he was glad now he could.

Because now they were.

* * *

The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco was definitely a place Edd had his eyes on since they first arrived in Monte Carlo. It was like a haven, to be somewhere filled with such beauty—to discover some of the mysteries of the big blue in just one building. Kevin had to admit, the whale room was quite interesting. All the different mammal skeletons hanging from the ceilings and some on display on the floor, standing up straight and to learn exactly which skeleton belong to which mammal. Of course, Edd understood more of everything, and Kevin didn't even listen much to the tour guide. He more into just looking at the displays rather than hearing about it.

Double D made sure they went into every room from 'Sharks: a thrilling experience' to 'The Cabinet of Curiosities', which was nothing but a room filled with little antics and knickknacks, but a lot of the visitors seemed to find a great fascination in those.

Seeing dead sharks and pictures was fun and all, but Kevin was ready to see real live sharks in the aquarium: the Shark Lagoon.

Walking in there, the redhead froze momentarily, being struck from how clear the glass was. He almost felt as if he was in the water and the sharks were going to come after him. That was silly, though and he laughed the thought off as he followed Double D up to the glass.

The sharks swam around coral reefs and what seemed like huge rocks covered in moss. A few different types of fish also inhabited the area. The water was crystal clear and made ripples at the top in which the bottom reflected.

One of the sharks swam up the glass and stared at Kevin and Edd. Kevin grinned and nodded at it.

"Aye look, it's trying to be our friend," he joked.

Double D sighed and smiled at the creature before it swam away.

"Sharks are awesome, man," Kevin added.

"Yes," Double D agreed. "They are an extravagant species." He grabbed Kevin's arm gently and held onto it as they turned and walked out of there.

Next up was the Tropical Sea aquarium. It was filled entirely of strange and colorful types of fish. Kevin ended up having a stare off with what Edd called a 'yellow boxfish'. The sockhead found the stare off very much amusing as did a few kids who were in there with them with their parents. They all giggled as they watched. Kevin finally couldn't contain his laughter and blinked.

"You do realize you were destined to lose," Edd told him. "You cannot win against a fish."

"Why not?" Kevin furrowed his eyebrows and pouted.

"Most do not blink."

The redhead sighed. "Oh."

As they continued their little tour in the museum, Kevin found an aquarium where he came face-to-face with...

"Dude, it's Nemo!" Kevin said, pointing excitedly at the tank.

Double D smirked. "It's a bit disappointing that everyone has to call these 'Nemo'. Do they forget about Marlin?"

"Nah." Kevin shook his head, but then shrugged, because he really wasn't sure of that. "I think it's because Nemo is a cooler name and the movie was named after him."

Edd nodded and looked at the many fish swimming around. "You do realize not all of these are specifically maroon clown fish."

The redhead's interest was piqued. He turned to face the other. "What?"

"If you look closely, they have differences. The ones with the black rimmed fins are Ocellaries and they are more orange than the clown fish. The clown fish are a more deeper orange, almost a bright red and they have exactly three very thin white stripes." Edd moved aside a little to look at more. "Then we have the True Percula, which is very similar to the Ocellaries, but their stripes are edged in black."

Looking over the fishes again, Kevin started to notice the differences. He blinked. "Okay. Well to me, they're all Nemos no matter what."

Double D giggled and nodded. "Very well, Kevin."

Kevin checked the time and realized they had pretty much spent their whole day there. It didn't even feel that long.

The two spent the rest of their time there going to 'the touch pool', a name Kevin couldn't help but be immature about and laugh at. There they petted baby sharks and feeling the spines of sea urchins.

Double D wanted to head into the 'Cinema of the Sea', but Kevin dragged him out. There was no way he was going to sit through films about discovering the sea. He had discovered enough.

On their way back to the hotel, they passed by a small store and Edd halted in his tracks, an idea hitting his mind.

"You know, Kevin," he said. "The one thing we failed to do in Florence was send a postcard to our friends back at home." The sockhead looked into the store. "I think it's only best that we start now."

Kevin thought about it and nodded.

Definitely.

Sending Nazz and Rolf postcards with briefly summarizing how incredible the trip was going so far seemed like a great idea. Maybe even tell them about what had happened between him and Edd. So they entered the store and bought four postcards, each having a different picture of beaches, landscapes, and outlooks of Monte Carlo.

Back at the hotel, they scribbled down something on each one. Double D told Eddy about the casino and how much he knew he would enjoy it. On Ed's postcard, he talked about the delicious food he had tried and how he knew Ed would love it and told him he hoped he was having fun back at home. But on both cards, he also mentioned how much he missed them.

Because he did.

It felt so strange to be away from them so long after having spent practically every second with them his whole life. They were like his brothers and he wished they could be there with him, sharing every moment just like they always did. He sighed and shook away the feeling as he looked up to see a smile on Kevin's face as he finished writing Rolf's postcard and it made him smile, but that smile quickly faded.

Edd didn't want to admit it, but it wouldn't leave him alone.

He was homesick.


	10. Another Goodbye

A/N: A big thanks to those on tumblr who helped me choose where Kevin and Edd travel to next! I needed that help lol. I just want to get this fic done already. I love it, sure, but ahhh I'm just tired because it's taking me forever.

Nathan belongs to Acid. :)

My apologies for these last two chapters being really short. The next chapters are probably going to be freaking long that my head might explode. LOL

* * *

After it had almost been a month, it was that time again to leave—to embark elsewhere. But before they left, Edd knew there was one place he definitely wanted to revisit. On their last day, Kevin slept in. The sockhead wasn't able to do so himself. Sleeping in just didn't feel right to him, even if he wasn't home. Therefore, he got up at seven in the morning as always and quietly got into the shower.

To his amusement, he found Kevin still in a deep sleep, lying on his stomach, snoring loudly with his mouth wide open. Edd giggled at the sight, but left him alone as he quietly got out a book and began to read it. When two hours went by, Double D looked over to see Kevin in the same position. He laughed a little before grabbing a pillow and tossing it at the redhead. Kevin immediately jumped up, his eyes wide but lazy and Double D just laughed even more.

"Hey," Kevin said. "That wasn't funny."

"Of course it wasn't funny to _you_." Double D smirked and the redhead raised an eyebrow.

"Oh okay." Kevin rolled his eyes and stood up. He checked the time to see it was ten and sighed. "Well, I guess there's no use getting more sleep, huh?"

Edd shrugged. "It is your decision, Kevin." He put his book back into its original place and smiled. "Though I would like to have breakfast now and go somewhere afterwards before we leave tonight."

The redheaded nodded. "Awesome. I'll get ready." He stretched and yawned loudly, making Edd widened his eyes.

Was it really necessary to yawn that loud? No, it wasn't, but that didn't stop Kevin.

Kevin wandered into the bathroom, but before closing the door, he said, "I hope we can find a hotel as nice as this one in Thessaloniki." He grinned.

Double D smiled wide, revealing the gap between his teeth. Thessaloniki, Greece was Kevin's choice of where they went to next and Edd was quite excited about it. It seemed like a wonderful place to go. Of course it meant taking another plane—that or take a twenty hour drive, but Edd was already feeling used to plane rides. They weren't so bad... as long as he didn't think about all the plane crash accidents he heard on the news a lot of the times.

The sockhead shook away the uneasy feeling and stepped out onto the balcony. The water was crystal clear and sparkling under the sun as always. It was Edd's favorite thing to stare out. Everything about it just felt so peaceful and beautiful, an easy thing to sit back and relax to.

And that's what he did as he waited for Kevin.

He listened to the sounds of the waves, to the sound of the shower and Kevin's humming. Hmm. He never really heard that before. Edd looked over his shoulder and listened more closely. Kevin sounded sweet and free.

It was lovely.

And Edd couldn't help but get closer to the bathroom door. He stood there, smiling softly as he tried to make up what song Kevin was possibly humming, but none came to mind. It didn't matter. The redhead sounded wonderful.

When the water was shut off, Double D stepped back and waited, but as soon as the doorknob turned, he ran back out onto the balcony. He stared out at the water again, trying to seem casual. Kevin had dressed inside the bathroom, so he was drying off his hair with the towel and looked out to see a flustered Double D with his hands on his cheeks.

"What?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Edd couldn't resist anymore. "I heard you!"

The redhead blinked, but then sighed. "Don't tell anyone."

"Singing in the shower isn't anything to be ashamed of."

"Yeah... err, just don't tell anyone, okay?"

Edd smiled and nodded. He walked back into the room and watched as Kevin placed his baseball cap on top of his head despite his hair still being damp. The redhead looked up and walked up to the ravenet. He smirked and leaned in closer. Double D tensed a little.

"Let's go eat," he whispered.

The sockhead smiled and closed the gap between them. Kevin smiled against the other's soft lips as he cupped his face as the kiss deepened. He started moving forward, forcing Edd to walk back... back... back... until he had no choice but to lie back on the bed. Edd could feel the tingles in his stomach, reaching up to his heart, making it speed up. Kevin's breath smelled sweet, his taste was of a mint, a nice, fresh mint, and it honestly just made kissing him all the more better.

Hands traveling from a cheek down to a stomach, fingers running through hair, lips moving together, and tongues entangling made the thought of food completely ignored and forgotten.

But not for too long after Kevin's stomach started growling loudly.

* * *

Nathan Kedd Goldberg. It had been almost two weeks since the couple had seen the teal-haired teen. Nat wanted to steer clear of Kevin and Edd, let them have alone time since they had to adjust to being an actual couple on a journey together when they started out as just friends. But it being their last day, Nat came out of hiding and joined them for lunch.

Instead of eating at a restaurant in the hotel, the trio headed to The Pub for some burgers and beer. Kevin loved the idea of having some American food and Edd had to admit he liked it, too. It gave him a little piece of being home. The 'Pub burger' immediately caught Kevin's attention and he ordered that. Nat grinned as he saw the 'Hangover Cure' burger and ordered it. It was just what he needed, and it had a fried egg inside it. That sounded delicious. Double D just went for the mini ground beef burgers. He wasn't up for such a fancy burger with a fried egg in it or a secret sauce.

Nat and Kevin ended up having a conversation about high school while Double D sat still and ate in silence. Perhaps no one cared about his high school experience. Well sure Kevin was there for most of it, but Edd felt sort of left out. He wasn't an attention seeker, but he wouldn't mind having Nat asking him a few questions about this and that. Well, he just wanted an excuse to talk about home, even though he felt it'd be best to keep his mind off it. And as if Nat could read his mind, the teal-haired teen began questioning him. Edd's answers were short, but he tried keeping a smile on his face the whole time.

After the burgers were eaten and beers were downed, Kevin and Edd said their goodbyes to Nathan.

"How much longer are you staying here?" Kevin asked him.

Nat sighed. "Probably another week. I kinda love it here." He grinned.

Kevin rolled his eyes, but chuckled.

"I'll probably head to France next," Nat added. "I like hearing French words all around me."

"Is that why you came here?"

"Yep."

Edd smiled at that. He hadn't known this guy for too long, but it already felt he _knew_ him. Nathan just wasn't too hard to figure out and get to know.

"Well," Nat said loudly, making Double D flinch a little. "Hope you guys have fun in Greece."

Kevin smirked. "Yeah, and have fun in France."

"_Je le ferai,_" Nat said, grinning.

The redhead blinked. "Uh, yeah."

Both Edd and Nat laughed, but they stopped once they noticed Kevin glaring at them.

Nat cleared his throat and smiled at Double D. "Have fun, man." He patted the sockhead's back and watched as the two exited the pub.

"Well, he was interesting," Kevin said once they were outside.

"Yes, he certainly was," Edd said with a nod.

"So, where did ya wanna go?"

* * *

Revisiting the Japanese Garden was a must for Double D. Not only because of what happened there, but because during that time they went, they didn't exactly see every little thing the garden had to offer. There really wasn't much more to see, but Kevin understood and he held Edd's hand as they walked through. In daytime, there were much more people wandering around.

"I wonder how much everyone misses us back home," Kevin said.

Double D sighed quietly. He intertwined their fingers together and gave Kevin's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes, I wonder too," he said softly.

The redhead raised an eyebrow and looked over at Edd. "You okay?"

Edd looked up and smiled. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kevin narrowed his eyes at him. "You're lying."

"I am not lying."

"Sure." Kevin stopped walking, let go of Edd's hand and grabbed the sockhead's shoulders. "Tell me what's wrong." When Edd remained silent, Kevin leaned in and stared deep into those big blue eyes.

After a few seconds of that, Double D had to give in. He looked away and said, "It's that I've been feeling a bit homesick, but I'll be fine, Kevin."

The redhead's expression softened and he stepped back, letting go of Double D's shoulders. "You're homesick?" He frowned. "Does this mean you wanna go-"

"No!" Edd shook his head. "Not yet. Although I am missing everyone, I do not want to miss out on seeing more of what's out there."

"Are you sure-"

"I'm more than sure." Double D furrowed his eyebrows a little as he turned to face Kevin again. "I don't want you worrying about me."

"But I do worry."

Edd sighed. "Yes, I understand, but you shouldn't-"

"Too bad. I do. So just deal with it." Kevin grinned lopsidedly.

Double D looked over Kevin's face before finally smiling and nodding. Kevin pulled him in closer and gently pressed his lips against Edd's forehead.

"I'll make you feel better," Kevin whispered.

The sockhead could feel his cheeks heat up and he smiled softly. Maybe it was just that sweet little moment, but Edd was already feeling better about being away.


	11. The Arrival

A/N: I know I said longer chapters, but yeah... that's not gonna happen with ALL of them LOL.

Enjoy!

* * *

Just by stepping on the land, Kevin knew that Thessaloniki, Greece was really going to be something. He didn't really know why he chose to go there. Greece just sparked a sort of interest in him. Maybe it was just the cool name, Thessaloniki. He liked saying it. And with summer winding down, the air was fresh and warm, relaxing, calming—beautiful. The two had already decided they would definitely stay for the harvest fest and activities since they had read much about it before landing.

As always, the first place they headed to was a hotel to check-in. Hyatt Regency was a reasonably sized hotel that had a villa house style to it. The lobby was similar to the Hotel De Paris one, except, there wasn't much such a large space and there were more couches, giving it a cozy living room feel.

Edd and Kevin decided on a suite for this hotel, upgrade to something bigger than their last room. The suite was the decent size; lounge area complete with the Greek decor of a vintage orange couch, slightly beige sofa, glass coffee table in the middle. There rested a 19" inch television on a small dresser and off to the corner was what appeared to be a work area—table fit for studying with desk chairs and a lamp. The bedroom wasn't too large, the huge king size bed took up most of the space.

There was indeed only one bed.

The bathroom was Edd's favorite. It came with a marble and granite bath with a walk-in shower and he just imagined how well one could cleanse themselves in that, which gave him the sudden urge to try and figure it out for himself. While he showered, Kevin walked back into the lounge and indulged in some television. He allowed himself to sink into the couch, which felt much more soft than it looked, and he thought back to the past months with Double D.

It felt strange, really, how everything came so easy to him with the sockhead. Nothing was ever easy for him, but somehow, Double D made everything seem like it was no big deal, like life was actually simple. It sounded corny, but Kevin didn't really know how else to see it. That's just exactly how it was.

So deep in his thoughts, the redhead didn't realize Double D had finished his shower and was now sitting at the desk, looking up something on his laptop, but when he finally did, he raised his eyebrows to see Edd wearing a robe. Edd looked up from the screen and smiled softly before realizing what Kevin was staring at. The sockhead looked down at the white robe and chuckled.

"Complimentary bath robes," he said with such pride as he grinned and Kevin smirked.

"Is it comfortable?"

"Oh, yes, very."

"So, what are you looking up?" Kevin asked as he got up from the couch and walked over to Edd's side.

"A website that gives us all the information of the things we can see and do here. I was thinking we can start today with visiting the Byzantine walls." The sockhead moved the laptop enough for Kevin to fully see the picture he was looking at.

Kevin grinned and nodded. "Cool. Yeah, let's go."

"Wouldn't you like to eat something first?"

Hearing that, the redhead couldn't stop himself from laughing. He wasn't even surprised that question was asked. After practically living with Kevin for months, of course Edd knew almost everything already.

"It's like you read my mind," Kevin humored him and Edd replied with a smile.

* * *

The two stopped at the first place they saw—Lena's Bistro. They ate their food, shared a conversation over the things they wanted to do in Greece, and Edd watched as Kevin indulged himself in some drinks. He tried to get the sockhead to join him, but really, Edd was in no mood to drink any alcohol, at least not at that moment. Kevin also managed to start up conversations with random strangers. No surprise there.

But unlike Megan and Nathan, he didn't become friends with them. He just said his goodbyes, they told him to enjoy his trip, and he left with Edd. The two headed over to the Byzantine walls where Double D immediately took out his camera and began snapping shots of, what seemed like, every inch of the damn thing. The locals who were merely passing by raised their eyebrows questioningly at them. The redhead just stood by, rubbing the back of his neck. Could they look anymore like tourists?

Double D didn't mind their stares. He was too caught up in the beauty, and after finally rolling his eyes and shrugging it off, Kevin joined in Double D's excitement. The walls were... fascinating. Old, rusty castle walls.

"Just imagine how wonderful these must have looked when they were first built," Double D said.

Kevin did think about it and smiled. "Pretty rad."

Edd blinked and looked over Kevin. "Yes, that could be the word to describe it." He took a few more shots, before asking Kevin to take one of him standing in front of it.

Then he insisted Kevin be in a picture, too.

"No way, man," he protested. "I hate pictures."

"I suppose that's why you always posed so proudly every time the yearbook club ask for photos."

Kevin sighed. Double D wins again.

"Okay, whatever," Kevin said. "Just one, though."

Double D nodded, but once the redhead stood in front of the walls, Double D took more than just one picture.

"Hey!" Kevin growled. "I said _one_."

Edd just giggled and shrugged innocently. "Oh, my mistake. I must have misheard you."

"Ha-ha, _very_ funny." But Kevin couldn't resist. He sauntered over to the sockhead's side and placed a swift kiss on his lips. "So, what now?"

Edd faced him and raised an eyebrow. "What would you like to do?"

"I don't know. You're the expert."

"You chose to come to Greece."

"I know, but... I... it was really just so I could say I went here."

Double D tilted his head. "You're serious?"

Kevin grinned and resisted his laughter, but it came out anyway. Double D didn't understand what was so humorous, so he just stared at the redhead and waited until he was done. Kevin continued laughing, but he could see the confusion in his boyfriend's eyes, and that made everything... not so funny anymore.

"Okay, I'm good," he said, clearing his throat.

Edd smiled. "Perhaps we could drop by a store and send our friends another postcard?"

* * *

They returned to the hotel after buying the postcards and just like before, they scribbled down their messages.

Kevin wrote to Nazz: _Hey Nazz. Another card from me because this dork keeps insisting we buy these. Hope you like it and also hope that you're having fun. You better come home when I do so I can see you, alright? I'll have a lot to talk to you about by then. Love you, Nazz._

And to Rolf: _Rolf, my man! How's Wilfred? I'm guessing good, same with you. You take care of yourself, and make sure to keep Eddy in check. I'll admit that I miss you and your crazy words, but don't tell anyone that or I'll pound ya. Ha, which probably wouldn't even go well for me in the end, though. I'll send you another postcard from the next place we go. Later._

Double D wrote to Eddy: _Greetings from Thessaloniki, Greece. Oh, isn't it wonderful that I'm here? It's as beautiful as everywhere else. This experience has been nothing but perfection. The only thing missing is you and Ed to experience it with me. Yes, if you two were here, that would definitely make this a little more perfect. Well, speak to you soon, my friend._

And to Ed: _Salutations, Ed. I trust that you're doing quite well and that you are not overeating any buttered toast or gravy. You know that isn't very healthy for you. I'm staying at this very nice hotel, small and cozy. I'd think you'd love it. Take care, Ed. _

The sockhead sighed after finishing that it caused Kevin to look up.

"That was a sad sigh," Kevin told him.

Edd faced him and shook his head. "Oh, no. It most certainly was not." He forced the corners of his lips to rise as he walked over and joined the redhead on the couch. Kevin wrapped his arm around him and moved him even closer to him. Double D rested his head on Kevin's shoulder and they sank into a comfortable silence as they watched whatever was on TV.

* * *

A/N: I'm actually going to ask for some help. What fanfic would you all like to read next after I'm done with this one?

- A scary(hopefully) fanfic that includes all of the EEnE characters.

- A fanfic about the Kanker sisters.

- Three's A Crowd sequel

- or... KevEdd fanfic where they're in middle school and... well, Romeo & Juliet play :)

Let me know! Eventually all of these fanfics will be posted, but I want to know which one you're more interested in reading sooner rather than later.

You can let me know on here or on tumblr, which is the same as my name on here. Heytheregisela.


	12. And Here Comes Trouble

A/N: I have such a big surprise in store for the next chapter, and I cannot wait for you all to read that! :D

Also, counting down all the reviews and asks on tumblr, it seems as though it's between Three's A Company (Three's A Crowd sequel) and Romeo & Juliet play as my next fanfic.

If you could help me choose between those two, that would be great! The scary fanfic was in the lead, but then the play fanfic kicked it out LOL.

* * *

For the remainder of the day, Kevin and Edd went to sleep. They slept through the afternoon and all throughout the night. Traveling was exhausting, but even with that being the truth, Edd almost had a panic attack seeing that he rested over eight hours. But once they were both up and ready, they headed for a walk. Walking always made it easier to see more of what you miss while being in a vehicle where everything pretty much speeds by you. The two walked side-by-side, leaving a decent amount of space between each other, but that didn't last long when Double D took notice of it.

He immediately closed the gap and grabbed Kevin's hand, interlocking their fingers together. Kevin smiled softly to himself at the action. Many others were out and about, going on with their usual lives, ignoring the tourists surrounding them. They seemed to look as though they were now completely used to having their city filled with strangers from other countries. It was no longer such a big deal. They didn't shun out the tourists either, though. If one needed directions, the locals would kindly help out as best they could.

And for that, Double D was glad. He wanted to know which way he and Kevin had to walk in to reach the Aristotelous Square. A lady tried explaining with her rough English and was relieved that the sockhead exactly what she meant. Double D thanked her and the couple went on their way. The Aristotelous Square was indeed a square shaped landscape with monumental buildings outlining it and it was right next to the city's waterfront. It was quite a sight.

Kevin still couldn't really understand why exactly someone needed to see these old buildings. He did get that they were part of history, but seeing pictures of them seemed good enough for him, yet he would never question this out loud. If it made Double D excited to see them in person, then he would stand back and smile too.

The two headed to a restaurant after strolling around the main square of the city, snapped a few photos—and few meaning almost a hundred, Edd was very into angles and such. They ate a small place called Ellinikon. It was at a corner and when Edd spotted it, he urged Kevin that they go there. The place was had the look of a bakery shop mixed with a deli. It was mainly Greek cuisine, something that almost made Kevin nervous. He wouldn't exactly call himself a picky eater, but if it had a funny name or a name he couldn't pronounce at all, he would be a little suspicious. He was happy to find they had fries though. He decided to go safe and order Tiropites—Phyllo cheese triangles. Anything with cheese was delicious, he was sure of that. The same would go with chicken.

Double D couldn't decide on what to get. Everything did sound delicious to him. He wanted to try the entire menu, but seeing he wasn't entirely starving, he settled on Pastitsio—a dish that resembled Lasagna. It was pasta with meat filling, and a creamy bechamel sauce, and the sound of it just made his stomach growl.

"Mm, cheese," Kevin said as he picked up one of the tiropites. "It's great." He took a big bite out of the triangle and made a face of one that truly said he was satisfied with the food.

Double D couldn't resist but to giggle. His pastito, or 'lasagna wannabe' as Kevin put it, was simply delicious as well. The sauce was indeed creamy and gave the best flavor to the meal.

"Try some of these fries, babe," the redhead said, picking up the silver bucket they came in and holding it up to Edd's face.

Edd sighed and smiled as he grabbed one. "If you insist." Though he didn't regret it. The fry was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside, just the way he liked it.

"I feel like I haven't really taken the advantage of trying different foods," Kevin admitted. "If there's hamburgers, I eat those instead of getting something new."

Edd shrugged. "Well, it is a shame, but if you don't want to try, you certainly don't have to."

"But I know you think I'm missing out on the culture or whatever."

And when Double D said nothing but smile, Kevin knew he was right.

"I still feel like I'm indulging myself enough, though," he defended himself.

Double D didn't respond, though. He simply sighed and continued eating.

* * *

The couple spent the majority of the day out just walking around, exploring the city on foot that it was no surprise to the sockhead to see just how exhausted Kevin was once they returned to the hotel. The redhead allowed himself to fall onto the bed and get comfortable. It was around seven PM and Edd wondered whether Kevin would be just taking a nap or if he would end up sleeping throughout the whole night. He wanted some rest, too, and therefore he snuggled up next to Kevin and closed his eyes.

Listening to the soft breathing coming from Kevin was soothing to Double D. He felt relaxed, safe, and... he could feel just how tired he really was. But he only drifted off to sleep for around half an hour before he was awaken with the sudden urge to vomit. His head pounded and he figured he just needed some fresh air.

Double D was going to step out only for a bit, but the night air felt too nice to not take advantage of, so he decided on a walk. More walking... it really didn't bother him to walk so much in one day. Walking was good for health anyway.

Greek night life was similar to daytime. Many people were out, walking or driving around. Double D felt content with it, though. He took a deep breath and continued his walk down the sidewalk, oblivious to the group of guys watching him.

Kevin woke not too long after and was annoyed by it. He felt groggy and weak.

"Hey, Double D," he said, but no answer came. "Edd, hey." Kevin looked over and his eyes widened to see the sockhead gone. "Edd!" He called louder.

No response.

"The hell."

He got up and started searching around the suite.

He banged on the bathroom door. Nothing.

He opened it to check just in case Edd was maybe just being quite, but no. He seriously was not in there.

"Where the hell did he go," Kevin mumbled to himself before exiting the room.

He didn't want to panic, but this wasn't Peach Creek. This was a strange, foreign city that they didn't know like the back of their hand, and Kevin feared Double D would get lost. In the lobby, he asked around for him. Everyone gave him the same answer, though. No, they haven't seen anyone like him.

"God damnit." Kevin wrinkled up his nose and walked out of the building.

Obviously the sockhead must have went for another stupid walk or something. That guy and his walks.

"Hey there," one of the guys in the group said to Edd.

Edd merely ignored them and tried to keep walking, but they stepped in front of him. He didn't worry too much about it, though. Perhaps they were in need of help and he had to admit that he had been rude in ignoring them.

"How may I help you, gentlemen?" He asked sweetly with a smile, but when they smiled back, more devious than sweetly, Edd became feeling nervous.

Oh, they weren't kind. Not at all. The cold look in their eyes was enough for Edd to figure that out. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, so he started stepping back, but the guys followed in the same slow pace.

Was it really necessary for them to do that? Why did they want to scare Double D? He hadn't done anything to them. Were they just bored and approached the next person they saw? That had to be it, because they didn't know Double D. He was a stranger, and they didn't care for him.

"We just want to talk," one of them said.

"O-oh," Edd said, swallowing hard. "Well, I'd like to, but-"

"But what?" Another asked.

And Edd felt frozen up, though he continued to talk. "I must be getting back to my hotel, so if I may..." He turned to run, but they grabbed him.

"Nope," the first one said, "You're not going anywhere until we're through with you."

"What exactly do you want?" Edd asked. His breathes were quickening as his heart rate increased, but he tried sounding as calm as possible. He couldn't show fear. Fear would only satisfy them, because it's what they wanted. They wanted to scare Edd, and he wasn't going to give in.

"All your money," another said. "So hand it over. Now."

But Double D shook his head. "I apologize. I don't have any money with me at the moment. I left it in my suite."

"Somehow, I don't believe you."

"Believe him," a voice said from behind Double D.

Double D looked over his shoulder to see Kevin and furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't need any rescuing, or so he wanted to believe. Though of course, the redhead took charge. He knocked one of the guys out cold and that was enough to make the others run off when Kevin asked "who's next?"

He grinned as he watched them disappear as they turned a corner. He was so proud of himself, so proud that he could have that kind of power. And what else added to that was probably the fact that he was just one guy up against four others, but they still ran. They were still scared.

The redhead turned to face Edd, stilling wearing the same grin, but when he saw how disappointed Edd looked, a frown replaced the grin. There was something wrong. Was Edd not relieved? Grateful? According to those eyes, apparently he wasn't.

Not at all.


	13. Soundtrack of My Summer

A/N: Title is from the song "Thunder" by Boys Like Girls.

Sometimes I wonder how many of you are following me on tumblr, like whoa hi. ^_^

* * *

Silence spoke a lot, but sometimes said nothing at all. Though in this situation, Kevin couldn't really figure out whether he could understand Edd's silence. Was he saying something, or was he just being quite? Kevin didn't know how to ask. Or what to even say. He didn't realize helping the sockhead out with a situation like that would make him upset, but apparently it did. And for that, Kevin was beyond baffled. He just sat down on the other side of the couch and waited.

Waited.

Waited...

"I could have saved myself," Double D finally said.

_So that's why he's all moody about this. Jeez. _The redhead sighed and looked over at him. "I'm sure you could have. I don't doubt it all. I just walked up, saw you in trouble and my first instinct was to save you. I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be so unappreciative about it."

Double D bit down on his lower lip. "I... I appreciate it, Kevin. I merely hope you do believe I could have handled it myself. I'm very tired of everyone seeing me as such a fragile object-"

"Okay, first of all," Kevin sat up and cleared his throat, "I would never see you as an object, because you're not. You're a person, and I respect you and your feelings. That's why I know you could have handled it yourself."

The corners of Double D's lips slowly rose. He had never heard anyone say that to him and it just felt good—a real confidence boost. Therefore, he decided on shaking away the small ounce of annoyance he felt earlier and scooted closer to Kevin. Kevin wrapped his arm around the sockhead and leaned down, plating a swift kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, Kevin," Edd whispered before nuzzling Kevin's shoulder.

And it reminded him of the last time the redhead made him feel important.

_"Come on, Sockhead," Eddy said as he pushed open the double doors. "It's prom. Lighten up, will ya?" He turned to look at Double D over his shoulders and sighed. "Why didn't you want to come?"_

_Double D looked down at his outfit and frowned. Something about the black dress pants and red collar shirt felt off. He did enjoy looking nice, but maybe it was just being there where everyone was obviously having a wonderful time while he just wanted to sit down and watch others dance that made everything feel uncomfortable._

_"I believe you know the answer," he told Eddy._

_"Eddy's doesn't know anything," Ed said. "Better tell the little dickens." He pinched Eddy's cheek and Eddy rolled his eyes and swatted his hand away._

_Double D smiled at that. "Oh, look around, gentlemen, and then take a look at me. Do you really not see the problem?" He raised an eyebrow at them, inspecting their faces._

_Eddy shrugged. "I don't get where you're getting at."_

_And Double D just sighed. "Never mind, then. Please, run along and have fun you two. Don't allow boring ole me to get in the way." He said as he walked over to an empty table and took a seat. _

_Ed and Eddy crossed their arms, but seeing the sockhead wasn't going to change his mind, they pouted and walked off. Double D was relieved to be alone. He watched his friends try and dance their way into the crowd. He smirked in amusement. _

_The prom was a fairytale theme, and the decorations only made Double D shake his head. The entire building was covered in string lights in the shape of small stars, fake white trees were around also covered in those lights, and chandeliers hung above the dance floor. The spot off to the side where prom pictures were taken was what looked like a Cinderella setting; a fake pumpkin carriage next to a large background of the outside of the castle. _

_The tables were mostly covered in white cloth as were the chairs, and the centerpieces were a lantern from Tangled with yellow and pink flower petals surrounding it. Then there was the stage where two gold tall chairs with red velvet fabric that looked fit for a king and queen, of course. _

_They did a splendid work on all of it, but Double D couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. He couldn't enjoy anything about the dance. No one wanted to dance with him. Which is why he always tried avoiding dances. There were a waste of time and money. But Eddy had managed to get him here, and now he wished he would have kept protesting a little more._

_"Hey, Double D."_

_Edd flinched and looked up to see forest green eyes staring at him. "Oh, good evening, Kevin."_

_"Mind if I join ya?"_

_Edd tilted his head a little. "No, but wouldn't you rather be elsewhere?"_

_"Aw, come on, man," Kevin sat down next to him and shook his head. "You're my friend, and if you're going to just sit here alone all night, guess I'll sit with you."_

_"That really isn't necessary, Kevin. Go on and enjoy yourself."_

_Kevin squinted his eyes at him. "What about you, then? Why aren't you trying to have some fun?"_

_Edd sighed and rested his chin on his hand. "I'm afraid I'm not cut out for this sort of thing."_

_"Not cut out? What's that supposed to mean?" _

_"I... I am not... well, I'm a dork, as you would put it before, and I feel as if I merely do not fit in."_

_"Dude, yes you do. And even if you didn't, who cares? The ones that think they fit in are the ones that need to sit down and get over themselves. You're cool, and I bet a lot of girls are looking at you right now and wishing you would ask them to dance." The redhead smirked._

_Double D blinked. He started to scan the room and did find a few girls looking his direction, but he figured they were looking at something behind him._

_"That's preposterous," he told Kevin._

_"Or is it?" Kevin wiggled his eyebrows and Double D just giggled. "I mean, seriously, man. You don't give yourself enough credit. You're actually awesome."_

_"Do you really believe that?"_

_"Duh." Kevin grinned. "And this is your last high school dance, so have fun. Come on." He stood up from the chair and straightened up his shirt. "Let's go find some girls to dance with."_

_Double D smiled and stood up as well. He followed the redhead onto the dance floor and once they did find girls, he couldn't help but wish he could also dance with Kevin. But the fact that Kevin took the time to cheer him up was enough._

* * *

"The what?" Kevin asked, his now signature baffled expression on his face as he looked at Edd for an answer. It had been two weeks since the incident and they had been lucky not to run into more trouble since.

Edd covered his mouth as he giggled. "The Bezesteni. It is a rectangular building with lead-covered domes and four entrances. Doesn't that sound fascinating?"

"Sure..." But Kevin smiled, as he always did, because seeing Double D so excited about something never got tiring.

The two started making their way on foot, as they have been, towards the Bezesteni. Double D was explaining its history to Kevin. They were hand-in-hand, their arms brushing each other from how close together they were walking. With October starting, the air was fresh and smelled of sweets. It was refreshing and Kevin felt content to be alone with Edd. Just him and the dork. Nothing could be better.

But then Edd recognized two figures standing around, looking lost and confused, and his jaw dropped open at the sight. The redhead noticed this and snapped his fingers in front of Edd's face.

"Uh, Edd?" Kevin asked. "You okay, man?'

Edd slowly smiled wide and ran full speed towards the two people. "Ed! Eddy!"

Ed and Eddy spun around and grinned to see their friend. They enveloped the sockhead in a tight group hug.

"My goodness!" Edd practically squeaked. "What are you two doing here?!" He asked as he backed out of the hug.

"You kept saying how much you miss us in those postcards," Eddy said. "So we decided to, ya know, drop by and see Greece." He grinned, then saw the eager look in Double D's eyes. "And you, of course."

"I missed you, Double D!" Ed said, embracing the sockhead again, but this time, also spinning him around.

Kevin sighed and crossed his arms. Double D shut his eyes to not see everything move around him so fast, but he had to admit, he missed Ed's lovable and playful ways. Once put down, he clapped his hands loudly together. "Oh, we must do everything we can while you two are here... which is how long, exactly?"

"A week," Ed and Eddy said in unison.

"Oh perfect! We can do plenty of things in that time! Why, we could go visit the Greek islands and spend some relaxation by the beach in Pieria. I've heard the seaside is very lovely, and the weather is still suitable for it. Then perhaps we could go hiking in the mountains, and there are also caves and forests to explore and volcanoes to see!"

Beaches, hiking, caves, forests and volcanoes? Double D had failed to mention all of this to Kevin. He never really mentioned anything about leaving Thessaloniki to visit other cities in Greece. And he couldn't help but feel a little left out. Did Edd not want to do all of that with Kevin? Did he just want to drag the redhead around to look at old buildings? That didn't seem fair.

"That sounds cool!" Eddy smiled wide. "Let's go do some of that right now!" He grabbed Double D's wrist and dragged him away from Kevin.

"But Eddy! Wouldn't you like to check in first?"

"We already did!"

"I wanna see a volcano!" Ed said as he ran behind them.

Kevin just stood there, watching them leave him, not once looking back to see if he was coming. He debated whether he should along with them or return to the hotel. This was his and Edd's trip, and if his friends were there, well that was fine, but he wasn't going to let that spoil his fun. So he jogged to catch up with them.

* * *

It was around an hour drive to Pieria, which was a relief, because long distances annoyed Eddy. The Olympiaki Akti Beach had miles and miles of clear blue water and the sand seem to be almost pure white and it was gentle and soft underneath feet. Many visitors were lounging around on their towels under umbrellas, enjoying the sea breeze. The air was filled with the smell of fresh water, fish, and barbeque.

Ed immediately picked up Double D and Eddy and ran towards the water.

"No, Ed!" Double D squirmed around. "I am not wearing proper clothes for swimmi- Ed! Oh, dear."

The water came splashing up as Ed ran into it. Eddy began laughing and fell out of Ed's grip. He made another splash as he landed into the water, getting the sockhead's face wet again. The water was almost freezing and Eddy hugged himself as he shivered. Double D frowned and crossed his arms. Ed finally put him down and smiled innocently at him, and Double D couldn't be mad or annoyed.

Kevin sat on the sand and watched the three best friends goof around, splashing each other. He saw how Edd slowly got over the fact that his clothes were getting dirty and wet and gave into the chaos. At least he was allowing himself to have fun. Other kids joined in their splashing game and soon enough, there was twelve of them that they were hardly seen behind all the water flying everywhere. Kevin sighed and lied back.

After a while, the three friends ran out of the water and let the kids continue the game while they dry off.

"Oh, my hat is soaked," Edd complained.

"Who cares," Eddy said.

"I do!" The sockhead furrowed his eyebrows.

Ed laughed. "It's not the end of the world, Double D."

"Yes, it isn't, but-"

"Then we can move on and go get something to eat now."

"Oh my! What time is it? I can't even remember the last meal I had."

They made their way over to Kevin and asked for the time. Kevin took out his cell phone and told them it six-thirty PM.

"Good Lord!" Double D gasped. "We must eat now!" He grabbed Kevin's hand and yanked him up on his feet with full success.

Kevin's eyes widened. The dork really was stronger than he appeared sometimes. The five of them found themselves in a restaurant named Geyseis Resto. The place was rather fancy, but also casual enough for them to eat in. The cuisine consisted of not only Greek, but also Italian, which was a relief to Eddy. He was in no mood to try eating something he had never heard of before.

They sat at their table and looked around their surrounds. Plain white walls with paintings of large bird cages on the walls. Orange wall lights hung on the painted cages, looking as they were painted on as well. It was a real nice effect. The restaurant mainly had dim lights, and because of that, Ed thought it would be fun to tell scary stories. He went on and on with stories Eddy and Double D had heard plenty of times already, but it was all new to Kevin, and the redhead was glad. He finally had something interesting to listen to.

"So, then what happened?" He asked Ed before taking a large bite out of his pizza.

"Then the evil demon came out from behind the door, he slowly snuck up to the little girl, and began opening his mouth to reveal-"

"Big and sharp teeth," Edd and Eddy said.

Ed smiled at them. "Yes! And then when he approached the little girl, he-"

"Snatched her up in his mouth and she was never seen again."

Kevin chuckled at how well Edd and Eddy knew the stories by heart. "Well, that was a cool story, Ed," he said. "Thanks for sharing, man."

After dinner, they headed back to Thessaloniki. Ed and Eddy had checked themselves into the same hotel, something Double D was overly excited about. Kevin felt a pang of jealously overwhelm him, seeing how the sockhead hardly gave him any attention, but he knew being jealous wouldn't do any good. Double D deserved to be excited over having his best friends there, but it was making Kevin wish Nazz and Rolf could be there, too. But Nazz was busy with college, and Rolf... well he was being Rolf.

When Kevin thought he was finally going to get some alone time with Edd, he saw that three had went outside to the back of the hotel to relax by the pool and stare up at the stars. He didn't join them this time. He stayed in the suite and tried distracting himself with TV. He just really despised feeling left out. Double D didn't even ask him if he wanted to come.

"The palm trees look awesome right now," Eddy said, and then rolled his eyes. "Jeez, what am I saying?" He shook his head.

Double D smiled. "No, I agree. The way they're swaying slowly with the gentle wind really adds-"

"Shhh," Eddy whispered.

Double D raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, which only got a grin out of Eddy. The two hadn't noticed Ed had walked over to the edge of the pool until they were splashed when he jumped in. They both jumped at the temperature of the water and shivered.

"Ed!" Eddy growled. "What the hell?"

Ed just laughed and swam around.

Double D sighed and shrugged. "Oh, let him have his fun..." He looked over and cupped his mouth as he yelled out, "But really Ed, it is quite chilly out here for swimming!"

But Ed didn't mind it. He didn't even notice how cold it was.

"So, you really missed us?" Eddy asked.

Edd turned his attention back to him and nodded. "Very much. Thank you for coming. This is just what I needed. Kevin is wonderful, but I did need some time with you two."

Eddy smiled softly. "We're always here for you, Sockhead."

They lied back on the lawn chairs and watched Ed attempt to act like a dolphin.

* * *

Returning back to the suite, Edd found Kevin asleep on the couch and smirked at the sight. He quietly walked over and shut off the television, which woke the redhead. Edd covered his mouth, feeling quite terrible that he had woke him. Kevin rubbed his eyes and looked up at Edd with a lopsided grin.

"Is it morning?" He asked.

"It is ten at night," Double D answered him and Kevin's eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Oh, man. Come here. Now." He leaned up and grabbed Double D, pulling him down on the couch.

"K-Kevin! What are you doing?"

The redhead rolled over and straddled the sockhead. "I missed you today."

Double D furrowed his eyebrows. "We were together all day."

"Not really. You were with Ed and Eddy, and I don't care. I'm happy you're happy, but I haven't kissed you all day and that kinda bugs me." Kevin leaned down and gently took Edd's lower lip in-between his teeth and tugged on it.

The act sent a shiver down Double D's back and when Kevin was done doing that, Double D leaned up and kissed him.

"I missed you, too," he whispered against Kevin's lips before capturing them again with his own.

Kevin leaned in more, pressing his body down on Edd's as the kiss deepened. He could feel that Edd's shirt was wet, but it felt... nice. He slowly ran his hand down Edd's side, his fingers tapping it gently. And then, he just stopped and pulled away from the kiss. Double D opened his eyes and huffed.

"Is that all?" He asked, but his cheeks quickly reddened from embarrassment of his own question. "O-oh... I-I meant-"

Kevin held his finger up to Double D's lips. "No, I know what you meant, and I liked it." He smirked.

That smirk. That damn smirk. Double D could think of all the times he was affected greatly by that same smirk. How it made his heart race, his stomach flutter, and everything inside him shiver. Did Kevin realize just how desirable he was to him?

Or did he himself know how much Kevin wanted him?

No, neither of them understood this. They were both so oblivious to how they truly felt about each other, and because of that, it was becoming almost impossible to resist one another.

Double D pushed himself up, causing Kevin to have no choice but to fall back so that Double D was now lying on top of him. The sockhead began trailing soft kisses along Kevin's jaw line. Kevin gently closed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips at how satisfying the touch felt.

"I do apologize if I ignored you today," Edd told him.

Kevin sighed softly and looked up at him. "Nah. It's cool. You go ahead and hang out with them as much as you can. I'll stay out of your way. I know how much you missed them. And besides, I had all summer with you, and still a lot more months to go. Maybe I do need a break from you." He smiled smugly.

Edd rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Oh, and you believe I don't need a break?"

Kevin laughed. "Pfft. Who would _ever_ need a break from me?" He winked and Double D giggled before kissing him again.


	14. The Hiking Trip

A/N: I'm sorry this took SO LONG for me to update. Here is the 14th chapter. The next chapters will not be posted until I complete this story, and then I'll post a chapter a day. This chapter wasn't supposed to be posted, but since I'm already taking forever completing the story, I decided to post it now so those who have been waiting can read something lol.

Enjoy~

* * *

Hiking wasn't exactly the ideal thing Eddy wanted to do, but Ed was all for it, agreeing immediately with Double D, and then begging him to camp there for the night instead of returning the hotel. Knowing that climbing up the mountain would take longer than just one day without completely being exhausted, Double D thought camping would be the right choice. They packed their gear—Kevin and Eddy stuffing in extra food into their bags just in case, and they all headed out.

It was a two hour drive to Mt. Olympus, and once they got there, they immediately began their hike. The early morning air was fresh against their skin, and for that, they were all thankful. It would make the start much more easier, but seeing that it wouldn't get terribly hot anyway, they marched on with relief. They hiked up until noon and had their lunch break. Double D had packed sandwiches and water bottles and they all gathered at a nearby picnic table to enjoy it.

Ed talked on and on about how he would the 'king of the world' once they reached the top of the mountain. Eddy poked fun at him for it while the sockhead only laughed and Kevin joined in with Ed's excitement.

"You two are idiots," Eddy teased the two.

"Hey, at least we're trying to have fun, unlike _someone_ here," Kevin said and furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at Eddy.

Eddy rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers on the table. He knew Kevin was actually right, but that just felt weird to admit. Though he didn't want to be the grump during the whole entire rest of the hike. If he tried pretending to have fun, maybe it would truly happen.

The group cleaned up their trash and headed up again. Double D tried pointing out some 'fascinating' things to perk up Eddy's mood, and even though it was all terribly dull, the shorter teen smiled because his best friend's excitable attitude managed to make it somewhat interesting. It was definitely amusing. Ed was too occupied grabbing onto low tree branches and swinging off of them, though he caught himself being scolded by Double D once the sockhead saw what he was doing.

"Ed!" Double D shouted. "Desist this action immediately! You could really hurt yourself!"

"Aw, okay, Double D!" Ed picked up his friend and started running.

The sockhead could no figure out why Ed had to do that, but he didn't protest. It wasn't even worth it. As long as Ed was enjoying himself, it was fine. They found themselves setting up camp once the sun began to set. Kevin practically collapsed by the time everything was in place. They sat around and munched on a meal of fruit, bread, and chips. It wasn't quite the best, but it was what they had. For dessert, Eddy pulled out a package of chocolate chip cookies. Each of them managed to finish the whole. Dinner hadn't been exactly filling. Though afterwards, Kevin was the first to leave and enter the tent once food was out of the way. His entire body was rejecting any more movement. His palms felt rough, his muscles were sore that even lying down in his soft sleeping bag felt uncomfortable.

"I should be in my hotel room right now," he mumbled to himself, "in my nice hotel bed. Not in the middle of the woods stuck with the Eds." The redhead sighed and shifted a little. "Well, of course, Double D makes this decent." The corners of his lips twitched up. "He makes everything more than decent."

While he lied in there, Double D was still outside the tent with Ed and Eddy as they sat around a small campfire.

"No offense, Sockhead," Eddy said, "But did we really have to go hiking and camping?"

"Yes!" Ed answered instead. "Hiking is fun, Eddy!"

But Eddy just shrugged and yawned.

Double D smiled softly. "Eddy, you seem exhausted. How about you head off to sleep?"

Eddy agreed. He got up and entered the second tent, the one he would be sharing with Ed. Once he was gone, Ed turned around and grinned at Double D.

Eddward raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Ed?"

"How are you and Kevin, Double D?"

Double D felt his cheeks heating up. He didn't want to have answer something like that. He wasn't ashamed to discuss the topic, but he did feel a bit on the shy side about it. He sat up more and took a deep breath as if he was ready to give a speech to a large audience. But it was just Ed, and he was just going to talk about his relationship with Kevin.

It was really no big deal, though for Eddward, it was.

"I must not speak too loudly," he said, "Kevin might hear us."

Ed nodded, still wearing the same grin.

Double D almost laughed as he made eye-contact with his friend from the sudden burst of nerves in his stomach he was receiving from just thinking about how to explain his relationship. "Oh, everyone has it differently yet almost the same, I suppose," he started, "They say the exact same things; how their partner has changed their lives for the better and all of that nonsense, but I will tell you now, Ed, that Kevin has not changed my life. He can not change anything about it. It is how it is. He hasn't changed anything about me. I can say I'm the same Eddward Marion Vincent I was before I left. What he has done is make me very happy." Double D bit his lip slightly, his cheeks heating up even more, feeling silly for saying that, but he smiled and looked up. "I don't remember all the horrible things he did to us in our childhood, and that is only because he became such a good friend of mine in high school. It was enough for me to gain his trust now, and that's the main reason I was so quick in accepting us to be, as they say it, an 'exclusive item'. I may also add how I could not deny my feelings any longer either. Oh, and of course, Kevin does have handsome features, but I see those an merely a bonus." Double D sighed and waited for Ed to respond.

Ed just sat there and blinked hard, processing everything the sockhead had just confessed. Once he thought it over, he smiled and clapped. "Yay, Double D!"

And Double D allowed himself to grin from ear-to-ear. Kevin smiled to himself as he returned back to the tent, oddly happy he had the urge to use the restroom in the first place otherwise he wouldn't have heard all of that. He lied back down and tried to not smile anymore, but it was nearly impossible after what Double D had said.

"I suppose we shall retire for the night, Ed," the sockhead said as he stood up.

Ed pouted, but nodded. His eyes were feeling a little sore from lack of sleep. They put out the fire and headed to their tents. Kevin heard a twig snap and quickly pretended to be fast asleep. Double D fell for it and tried his best to remain as quiet as possible as he crawled in next to the redhead. He turned over, his back to Kevin's back, and went over what he said to Ed. He was nowhere near unsure that his words were false. He knew he meant them, completely. There was no denying it, and that was almost frightening, in some way, but he didn't know why.

* * *

Right when the sun rose, Double D was up and waking the others to finish their hike. Eddy groaned and refused to be up so early, so Kevin ended up having to drag him out of bed and Ed decided on carrying Eddy. They didn't have much more to go at all. It was only an hour later when they reached their destination. Ed practically dropped his friend as he ran to the center and began doing his own cheer; jumping up and down. A few other families that made it there at the same time stood back and watched, half amused and half afraid of how out of control Ed would get with how over excited he seemed to be.

Eddward noticed this and grabbed Ed's arm, telling him to relax because he was scaring their fellow hikers. Ed understood this. He apologized to the families, and they flashed him soft smiles. Eddy sat down and sighed in relief that it was over now.

"Finally," he mumbled.

Kevin rolled his eyes and looked over at him. "What do you mean _finally?_ We still gotta get back down."

Eddy's eyes widened and he jumped back up. "What?!"

Kevin chuckled and shrugged. "Well, dumbass, we're not staying up here."

"Fuck! I forgot! So we have to camp out again?!"

Double D bit his lower lip nervously, but he nodded.

"No!" Eddy stomped his foot. "I'm not walking anymore!"

"Well, you can come with us," a woman from one of the families spoke up.

The four turned around to face her.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked.

"Well, my husband is on his way with the car," she explained. "He's like your friend over there and refused over and over to hike with us." She gestured towards her two sons. One of them was most likely at the age of twelve while the other was maybe nineteen, but that was just based off looks. "So we came along and told him to be here by eight." The woman checked her watch and smiled. "He should arrive soon."

Edd grinned and nodded. "Well, that would be nice. Thank you." He looked at Eddy and furrowed his eyebrows. "You are very lucky, Eddy."

Eddy crossed his arms and thanked the woman, though he mumbled it from feeling a sudden burst of embarrassment that he had been whining so much.

* * *

Once back at the hotel, the four headed up to their rooms. Ed and Eddy decided on a nap, as well as Kevin, but the sockhead wasn't in the mood for sleep. He wanted to shower first.

"Nature is beautiful," he said as he gathered his things for the shower. "Though it sure is filthy."

Kevin smirked and rolled over onto his back. "Yeah, well I'll probably fast asleep by the time you get out, so goodnight... or... good afternoon?" He shrugged and yawned. "Whatever. Later." He slowly shut his eyes, making Edd smile at the sight.

Edd was honestly surprised how well Kevin behaved. He hated to admit it, but he was pretty convinced Kevin would have acted worse than Eddy, and he felt guilt from thinking that way. The redhead sure did surprise him more and more each day. He headed into the bathroom for his shower, going over the events of their hiking trip.

It was wonderful, and if he had to choose to do it over, he would.

And he smiled to himself as he thought about the next thing they would all be doing with each other—exploring caves.

The four of them did just that the very next day after eating a big lunch at a little restaurant. They headed out to Achaia to visit the lake caves. Ed was probably the most excited about the whole thing, asking Eddy to take many pictures of him standing in front of every lake. Double D was more interested in taking pictures of the large gaps and of the reflections in the water.

"Can you believe it," he said, "This cave is approximately a thousand, nine hundred and eighty meters in length."

Kevin furrowed his eyebrows. "So, that's pretty big, right?"

Eddy rolled his eyes. "Who cares how big this is? What matters is that we're here and it's awesome." He grinned and walked over to the edge.

The water was a crystal blue, flattering the large beige stone. Eddy bent down and dipped his fingers into the water.

"Ooh!" Ed yelled out. "Let's go for a swim!"

"I'd rather not," Double D said, stepping back.

"Okay! What about you, Eddy?"

Eddy scoffed. "No thank-" but Ed ran full speed at him and pushed him into water.

The two landed with a splash and Kevin turned away as water flew up and splashed Double D and himself. Though he didn't get angry. Instead, he slapped his knee as he began to laugh. Double D sighed and smiled at his two friends sitting in the water. Eddy chuckled a bit before getting himself up and out of the water.

Ed remained in it, splashing around in amusement.

And although the other three couldn't really see how that was so entertaining, they smiled and sat around on the floor, sitting back as they just enjoyed the view. Not many other tourists were around, and if they were, they weren't in the area those four were in. So they had their peace and quiet, well besides Ed's constant giggles, it was still peaceful. It was like being at home by the creek, listening to water and birds in the springtime.

All the worries in the world were gone.

Kevin and Edd had felt that way for the past months, and Edd felt relieved that his best friends were able to enjoy that feeling.

It was something needed to be felt—a brief break from reality, because being human wasn't always so simple. It came with its perks and its cons, and usually, the cons overthrew the good things, making all to be so very stressed.

So Eddy lied on his side, his hand holding up his head as he smirked at the sight of Ed. Double D leaned against Kevin, resting his head on his shoulder, and Kevin smiled as he wrapped his around him, pulling him just a little closer.

Moments like that didn't last forever, but they were determined to make the moment worth it.


End file.
